Feeling Sentimental
I was going through some old photos today, and I found some primo, hilarious ones of me and my friend Mark. I wish that my scanner was working, but alas, it is not cooperating. So that you can put a face to the name, here's a picture that I *do* have of Mark and our friend Megan at my wedding.
Instead of silly photos, let's walk down memory lane together instead.
Mark and I became tight pretty much the instant that we met. I was a senior in high school when he was a freshman. He was dragged by a gaggle of girls to the "Swing Club," which I happened to be the president of (NERD ALERT!). We *were* in the height of the swing revival. Remember the Gap Khaki Ad?
I wasn't sold on Gap's khaki's, but man I was sold on swing dancing!
But, I digress...
So, me being the president of the swing club, and Mark being one of the only boys, (certainly the best-looking, least smelly and lightest on his feet), he became my dance partner by default, and soon enough a very good friend. We had a much in common, including a mutual obsession with a certain poet named e.e. cummings.
Oh e.e. cummings...Mark and I spent many an afternoon sitting on the stone wheel between the main building of St. Thomas Aquinas High School and Notre Dame Hall reading e.e. cummings aloud to each other, and analyzing it to bits! We would bust into giggle fits at the less weighty words in e.e.'s poems, "flatulence" being one of the ones that comes to mind. Seriously! How can you read "flatulence" out loud in the context of a poem and not die with laughter?!
Tonight, I went to my bookshelf after flipping through my pictures and picked up my much dog-eared copy of 100 Selected Poems by e.e. cummings with "Sarah Duclos" written in silver ink on the top right hand corner of the front cover. I opened it, read, and remembered back to a time in my life where every trivial matter was "major" and so steeped in seriousness, and yet, so fun.
Here's one of my all time faves:
somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience, your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near
your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
( touching skillfully, mysteriously ) her first rose
nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility: whose texture
compels me with the colour of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing
(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens; only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands
Ten years later, I barely had to refer to my book to type that out!
Tomorrow's a big day at work. Time to get some rest for a big day, goodnight!
Instead of silly photos, let's walk down memory lane together instead.
Mark and I became tight pretty much the instant that we met. I was a senior in high school when he was a freshman. He was dragged by a gaggle of girls to the "Swing Club," which I happened to be the president of (NERD ALERT!). We *were* in the height of the swing revival. Remember the Gap Khaki Ad?
I wasn't sold on Gap's khaki's, but man I was sold on swing dancing!
But, I digress...
So, me being the president of the swing club, and Mark being one of the only boys, (certainly the best-looking, least smelly and lightest on his feet), he became my dance partner by default, and soon enough a very good friend. We had a much in common, including a mutual obsession with a certain poet named e.e. cummings.
Oh e.e. cummings...Mark and I spent many an afternoon sitting on the stone wheel between the main building of St. Thomas Aquinas High School and Notre Dame Hall reading e.e. cummings aloud to each other, and analyzing it to bits! We would bust into giggle fits at the less weighty words in e.e.'s poems, "flatulence" being one of the ones that comes to mind. Seriously! How can you read "flatulence" out loud in the context of a poem and not die with laughter?!
Tonight, I went to my bookshelf after flipping through my pictures and picked up my much dog-eared copy of 100 Selected Poems by e.e. cummings with "Sarah Duclos" written in silver ink on the top right hand corner of the front cover. I opened it, read, and remembered back to a time in my life where every trivial matter was "major" and so steeped in seriousness, and yet, so fun.
Here's one of my all time faves:
somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience, your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near
your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
( touching skillfully, mysteriously ) her first rose
nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility: whose texture
compels me with the colour of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing
(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens; only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands
Ten years later, I barely had to refer to my book to type that out!
Tomorrow's a big day at work. Time to get some rest for a big day, goodnight!
Labels: memory
posted by Geek+Nerd at 11:30 PM
8 Comments:
HA! I took that picture :)
Oh, I too love e.e. cummings! At our wedding, one of our readings was an Allen Ginsberg piece and the other was the following:
i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth
day of life and love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)
how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
That man had such a way of expressing things that is just like popping-off-the-top-of-your-head-emotion. . . In one of my poetry classes we had to do a poem in the style of a famous poet, and I did one like "i was sitting at mcsorely's." It was great fun!
I always love reading your blog. You're great at it!
swing club! that's right! i forgot about that and i love that poem, in particular the last line...so beautiful
THAT is my favorite poem of his also. My favorite part is the last stanza... Which is the only part I can quote from memory, sadly. Awesome memories! :D
Ahh swing dancing. That is the one thing I really and truly wish I could do. One of these days I'll do something about it!
I love e.e. as well, and I love that you showed that GAP commercial, only to reinforce that if you're going to "cut a rug" you have no business wearing clothes like that!
Thank you for reminding me that earth tone khaki and cargo pants are irrelevent in my life! :)
mwah
It's "The God!"
I always liked Ogden Nash - the challenge for me was to memorize his shortest poem: Fleas -
Adam
Had'em
Ogden Nash
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogden_Nash
It was a tough one to remember!
Hey Sarah - It has been six years of posting ~ wow how time flies. Thought I would pop in to say howdy and leave a few words to which will surely put you to sleep!
I did get you links - I do have the charms on order for Michelle's bracelet - It will have the original silhouette of me, one for Michelle, one for Aaron and of course one for Ozzie - unfortunately there was no Cat - so I had to go with a charm of a heart. It is a Valentine's day gift for Michelle and yet to be delivered as I am still waiting for the jeweler to call.
Keep smiling - thinking of you and Mr. G+N - I will have to catch up with you on that at a later date.
Be good!
Thom
Post a Comment
<< Home