Zelda's exercises, August 13

Posted on: Tue, 08/15/2006 - 13:08 By: Tom Swiss

Two exercises from Zelda's Inferno:

1) using these four things:

1 inanimate object: window glass
2 landscape or geography: sidewalks and streets
3 newspapers/current event: latest terrorism scare
4 from tv: idiot talking heads

how many windows have I looked out of, in how many cities
on to how many sidewalks and streets
watching people go by
mostly watching the women, to be sure

the window glass keeps me safely inside, separated from what I see
vision only, no sounds, like a TV that's muted
(best way to watch some of those talking heads in the box)

staring out the window, into flights of fancy
at least for these I don't have pass though security checkpoints, take off my shoes, dump out any liquids
I can sip my beer or coffee or whatever in peace
watch the visions in the glass
visions of another world

wondering about the lives of the people I see
from thirty seconds to extrapolate threescore and ten years
is that couple happy? what will their kid grow up to be?
where is that car going? what other people has it passed by?
what's the deal with that guy wearing the mask?
which of those people is most like I'm going to be in a year? ten? thirty?
the guy in that couple? that biker dude? the confused-looking guy with the camera? the shouting homeless guy?

visions in the glass
safely on the other side

2) A list poem

metal chairs outside a cafe, waiting for fair-weather customers
convertible tops, waiting to be put down
the midriffs of slim young women, waiting for warm crop-top days
the upper arms of strong young men, waiting for warm muscle-shirt days
lawn sprinklers, kids running through
black-eyes susans blooming
windows waiting to be opened, waiting to receive fans
swimming pools waiting to be filled, to receive floating and wading bodies