Van Ness in the Morning
My cells now not soft amoebas
open to living division,
but old marbles, making a
pointilist’s dotted doll,
unconnected
glass globes spilling
at a touch.
at a touch.
My self then,
barefoot feet filthy on hot pavement
amongst the butts and empties
hungry, alone, dissolved as
a brown bag in ocean
happy
as I’ve ever been.
May 2011
Posted for Friday Flash 55 at the G-Man's
(This was really intended for last week but got wiped out in
the Great Blogger Massacree )
Top image: Standing Model, by George Seurat, c 1887
Bottom image: South Van Ness at Army, 1953, by Telstar Logistics on flickr
Ah, the hippie looks back.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I hear Joni sing this song, I am in the Place des Vosges missing home. Now, reading your flash 55, and hearing her, I'm with my 28-year-old son who was born in Glendale and is moving back to LA in a couple of weeks. How the meaning changes! California is not "home" but part of my home will be there, with him.
Hungry, alone, dissolved . . . and happy. What more could we want, looking back from our marbly selves?
Dear bkm: Brilliant light in poem and picture and song! There is this gritty pavement feel to "living division" even in light which should cure us of any mitosis of soul and all cells war on atrophy the nature of which does translate to all aspects fo the nitty gritty world. Dualism fight for the peace in unity. So relate to the song poem.
ReplyDeletewhatever it takes to be happy eh? smiles. love the imagery...made up of marbles, spilt at the touch...and the dissolved brown bag among the empties and butts...good stuff hedge...mine will be up in a bit...
ReplyDeleteThe Happy Hippie: A long ways from Chicago or Oklahoma, as the blue eagle flies, though it's a find to hear how essential that time is to the mosaic. Great contrast between the present and former selves' sense of unity, where wholeness today is roughly pointillist in that all the dots are there and somewhat connect (herding marbles, as you say), where in the former self, diffusion ("dissolved / as a paper bag in ocean" -- brilliant) is as together as one could wish to be. Thanks for the vintage Joanie too, to see the gawky pure songbird with all of the art present at the start yet capable of taking so so much more on, as the heart grows through the life. Hmmmm. - Brendan
ReplyDeleteJoni is one of my all-time lifelong faves. In the mid 70s, I bought "Miles of Aisles" and liked it. Then I spent a rainy weekend with a friend who had "For The Roses" and that was it, permanent fan.
ReplyDeleteI like your 55. I think happiness shows a different face to each of us. Yours sounds good to me, girl.
You are always so wonderfully descriptive. Even to the point of giving a portrait a new and different life.
ReplyDeleteI was much the same, back when I was still open to living division. Love this one, Hedge!
ReplyDeleteGoodness take us back in time.
ReplyDeleteSeurat's technique always amazed me - one that I could never replicate.
Van Ness before Sutro tower got put up - used to go grocery shopping off Van Ness ( many moons ago)
and Joni ...
Three for three
Thanks for the memories
You are way off on some other plane Hedgewitch!
ReplyDeleteAnd whatever MDW just said to you...?
I'm very honored to have you contribute.
You Rock!!
Thanks for playing, and have a Kick Ass Week-End!
What a beautiful 55, hedgewitch. Soft and as beautiful as the artwork.
ReplyDeletevery nice AND Joni!
ReplyDeleteAloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
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I've never thought about the connection between amoebae and body cells before.
ReplyDeleteI'm up here.
i just love your imagery and i wouldn't have even needed the picture - your words are a great painter hedge
ReplyDeleteSo wonderful! I love the cells like marbles....and then the looking back at the barefoot hungry and totally happy girl........sigh. Those were the days, my friend......
ReplyDeleteLove the pointalism, separate, vs. the open and dividing cells. And the second stanza...the joy!
ReplyDeleteVan Ness - I drive it all the time, bumper to bumper traffic, panhandlers approaching for handouts, City Hall protestors, Mission neighborhoods - all part of a great city that I love.
ReplyDeleteJoni Michell - makes me feel my 66 years this morning!
My 55 is here:
http://rnsane.blogspot.com/2011/05/friday-flash-55-rose-of-love-may-20.html#links
Have a terrific weekend!
Interesting,I tend to relate to the dissolving brown bag, wonderful write.
ReplyDeleteThis 55 is worth at least 110!
ReplyDeletewhat a brilliant way to describe this pointillism...how your 55 makes me wish to fly away back to San Fran, I believe I could be happy... dissolved ~
ReplyDeleteThere are some terrific turns of phrase in this. The Joni Mitchell song is a perfect accompaniment to your words.
ReplyDeleteawesome 55.
ReplyDeletehave a blessed weekend.