regression to the mean

the idea that everything leans toward the average and that evolution proves this it's a bit of irony that we expect so little of ourselves

I first found her looking for her mind
in a burned-out bookstore
perusing Zen-and-the-art-of
getting-your-s**t-together
volumes upon the shelf
she looked as if she didn't
understand which one to open

I soon came to realize she is a
"fisher of men" the grave side of Jesus lies
in a sort of legal blasphemy against
our own kind.

my aunt reminded me that everyone
is given a brain and not using it
well, that's just a sin.

we shouldn't be privvy to
all that honey dripping
a voice sweet, sweet!
yes, I've been in the South just lately
and the sound is bogus with a capsized B
bowl me over and fill me with honey, honey!

but I digress, the honey dripping came to a very sly
stop when I decided not to have my world Janetized
any longer. give me the grit and grime of a dirty soul
one who loves being human and is proud to be
down in her shoes
you see, I have no use for being utilized
now or ever, so it's goodbye

I expect my friends to be delightfully dysfunctional
they're my favorite waste of time
I simply ask them to be-
and outrageous misfortune
doesn't find us if we play the sage
and make use of "yes" and "no"

St. Peter met a man at the gates
and asked "did you use the gifts we gave you?"
"yes" he replied.
With Peter's embrace he heard
"Welcome"

Reviews

[Gandré]

How it is possible that I didn't read this? you truly said it, and the reviewer Sel - said it so rightly that's what I say since 3 years I write about this, that we have to use our own heart. But I never wrote such a beautiful piece about it like you did. In fact the thing with religion: everyone has to find for himself. I respect every one. But I don't respect blindness and stupidity and ego desire and importances and possessions over possessions and its mannerism. In fact, this makes us so lonely. This poem goes to my favorites, dear. Amazing write.

[Sel Whiteley]

I am left awestruck at the beauty of this poem. The style is direct, succinct and engaging, I love how the tangential into the Southern accent really evokes an extra depth and texture. The opening is brilliant:

I first found her looking for her mind
in a burned-out bookstore
perusing Zen-and-the-art-of
getting-your-s**t-together
volumes upon the shelf
she looked as if she didn't
understand which one to open

The way she defers the art of living to other people instead of existentially following her own heart and yet she doesn't even know which book to defer it too. I love not only the characterisation but the energy here, especially how it is garnered through the hyphens. But it the end which makes me breathless: the spontaneity and the naturalness of your friends is brilliantly celebrated.

give me the grit and grime of a dirty soul
one who loves being human and is proud to be
down in her shoes
you see, I have no use for being utilized
now or ever, so it's goodbye

I expect my friends to be delightfully dysfunctional
they're my favorite waste of time
I simply ask them to be-
and outrageous misfortune
doesn't find us if we play the sage
and make use of "yes" and "no"

St. Peter met a man at the gates
and asked "did you use the gifts we gave you?"
"yes" he replied.
With Peter's embrace he heard
"Welcome"

In fact, I want to hold onto these words forever and to show them to every single one of my friends.

[J]

I can relate personally to your first and fifth strophes for a lot of reasons... which I won't go into here.

Your voice here is a lot more impassioned... thinking about the dark side suits you, haha. But seriously, there's a counterpoint here which shows up well: a pendulum between the two, with the reader being asked "which one?", if that makes sense? Especially the ending... most of us don't make full use of the talents we're given to explore, or the path we're supposed to go down because it's in us to do so... so much repression and misunderstanding of one's own soul.

Or at least, that's what I got out of it...

[Vanessa Whiteley]

I love the barbed humour in this one Nan. You paint a great character sketch and a wonderful opening

I first found her looking for her mind
in a burned-out bookstore
perusing Zen-and-the-art-of
getting-your-s**t-together

As for the South, I've only ever been to Virginia but I can imagine the voice you describe being straight our of a Tennessee Williams Play � maybe Maggie the Cat. I was going to write that it's one of those where you'd send the whole poem if you went for fav lines but I guess,

I expect my friends to be delightfully dysfunctional
they're my favorite waste of time

does stand out even amongst these jewels. I love it and yet at the same time I'm not sure that I get it all.

[Touché Armada]

Nancy I don't know what to say to this for a number of reasons and bare with me because I'm on dial up for the moment and getting back to anyone is tedious at best, at times upsetting at worst. But you always write soft and this is harsh at least to me it is, not to mention you hardly ever send requests, well that what I have come to know in any case. Getting ones s**t together, yeah everyone does that, I spent the last two years doing just that, just to find some personal happy place. A fisher of men, I guess I could/can relate to that as well, though in a rather detached sort of way I think.. My two most favorite man friends in the world are gay, but it doesn't stop me loving them completely, because they return that same love, no strings attached, sad in way I guess to some, but to me comfortable.


my aunt reminded me that everyone
is given a brain and not using it
well, that's just a sin.

we shouldn't be privvy to
all that honey dripping
a voice sweet, sweet!
yes, I've been in the South just lately
and the sound is bogus with a capsized B
bowl me over and fill me with honey, honey!

but I digress, the honey dripping came to a very sly
stop when I decided not to have my world Janetized
any longer. give me the grit and grime of a dirty soul
one who loves being human and is proud to be
down in her shoes
you see, I have no use for being utilized
now or ever, so it's goodbye

This reminds me of a lecturer I cant gel with and oh my fing god her name is friggen Janet.. I'd love to say good bye,, but I want my degree god damn it, so I cant tell her, her eyes are wild and her sweet voice doesn't fool anyone, we know what goes on from behind closed doors, because we doooo get along with the men these women like to chase off.. Though they are gone, its too late we know. (sorry massive ramble that fit tooo well into this co incidentally)

I expect my friends to be delightfully dysfunctional
they're my favorite waste of time
I simply ask them to be-
and outrageous misfortune
doesn't find us if we play the sage
and make use of "yes" and "no"

And my favorite people are totally dysfunctional as well, and I both love them and loath them, and the feeling is mutual.. Outrages misfortune though I have to say happens no matter how careful you are.. I aught to know , but no one or few people would believe just how outrages, cause I'd hardly believe it myself from someone else.

St. Peter met a man at the gates
and asked "did you use the gifts we gave you?"
"yes" he replied.
With Peter's embrace he heard
"Welcome"

But perhaps one of these days I'll be out on top.. and today tomorrow and all that time in the past will look like nothing nothing at all.

Now care to share the real meaning behind this? But I'll have to get back to you a bit latter.


and with mean... do you mean like mean and mode? or mean as in nasty?

[Mike P.]

and a reminder of why my Nan is one of my favs!
-Rascal