fifteen minutes before the bus
need to hurry
an hour worth of prep
that damn alarm
always never rings
quick in the shower
throw on some clothes
grown-up clothes
not doc martin's
not wingtips
minute to toast a bagel
still cold on sensitive teeth
have to hurry
must be rounding the corner
coins from the dish
keys in jacket pocket
open the front door
pause
go back and switch on TV
turn the volume up loud
so if anyone breaks in
they'll think someone's home
23 comments:
I dig it! The first thing I thought of was rushing off to a job interview for the first time in ages.
Yep... I like your style. Refreshing indeed!
There's something very appealing about the phrase "always never". This reminded me just a bit of "day in the life" by the Beatles.
nice recursion.... three poems, two poems, one poem, horizontal, vertical, diagonal.... space and time winding around.
that last line reminded me of the phrase: the lights are on but nobody's home.
and the whole experience was too too familiar in that felt sense way that bespeaks a lived experience.
great read; thanks!!
And this is why I am anal about time. Never relying on an alarm but setting the internal clock to always wake me well ahead of the appointed hour.
That TV thing...trust me it just makes 'em want it more.
Loved this Jon, loved the way you imparted the rush through the structure on the page. Just masterfully executed.
I imagined a little dog sitting there watching the speaker, turning its head for every rapid hurried movement.
Fine piece again, Jon! It reads like "slalom poetry".
Hope you are well and that you will find time to relax from work soon.
get up in the morning
get on the bus
get up in the morning
like the rest of us
places to go
important people to meet
better knock it off
or you might lose your seat
guess who
hiya !
Your taste of writing is quite impressive.....
Jolliieess:)
bard,
hope you got that job... and that you had matching socks on!
Jimmy,
Thanks mate! glad you can dig in...
Francis,
I'm stuck on phrases like that from James Joyce I think... the Wake is loaded with them... and I just watched the video on youtube of "day in the life"... what a strange video... thanks for the reminder of this amazing tune!
Harle,
That's a great connection to the lights being on... kind of crossed my mind when i was thinking on this one... but the TV did more for me somehow...
thanks for the noticing...
walkingman,
HAHA! love what you say about them wanting the TV more if it's on... guess it lets them know where the "valuables" are too!
;)
Jenny,
Slalom poetry... I love it!
Glad you like the form of this one and that it got your eyes moving... was kind of going for that scattered feel...
/t,
Now who would have thought the guess who would have beat me to the punch on this one... just looked up this song... thanks for the recommend! cool track...
Escapist,
Thank you... Nice to get praise on writing from a wonderful writer... thanks for stopping by... :)
Reminds me of my full-time student days, with an early class and trying to make it to the sometimes early bus.
Wake up early (Oh darn, I can't believe I let this happen)
fifteen minutes before the bus
(Ok, you're going to do this) (scurrying)
an hour worth of prep
(mind quickly prioritizing readying ritual. skip bk, run to bus stop. (back-up plan - run to class, only 3 miles))
quick in the shower (uh-oh, hair dryer won't work even for half a min.)
minute to toast a bagel (darn, can't believe I spilled juice on the floor. Gotta clean it up so roommates don't see it.. change of plans)
must be rounding the corner (no time to brush teeth, just grab books, boots, and run... oh no, forgot bus fare)
coins from the dish (I really can't believe this is happening!)
open the front door (again)(to see the bus just driving past my apt.)
begin back-up plan
By the way, I forgot to say, it was excellent the way you put this together.
Charlie,
Great reinterpretation of these scattered lines... especially like the ones about the roommate and the OJ... that would tack an extra 60 seconds on, eh?
Thanks for stopping by. Hope everything's ship-shape on the Rock!
jon,
i don't think
they beat you to anything
yours is an entirely new and original take on the bus idea
from the scorpions, catch your train:
Wake up man it's late but not too late,
It's six o'clock like everyday!
Get your things run and forget the rain,
Take powerpills don't miss your train!
i like the ideas, waking + public transit
???
/t.
To me, sometimes the daily routine compartmentalizes our lives just enough. Some of us need the routine, the another-day-another-dollar, the silent proactive march. Without it we find ourselves unhinged, like a tarp that has come loose in two, then three places, blowing in the wind and liable to do anything at anytime. To some of us, just feeling tired in the evening is enough to let us fight on for another day.
Thanks Jon. I needed to read this right now.
/t,
Man you've got good tunes coming at me left right and center! Thanks! Keep them coming...
and yeah... I dig the waxing and public transit thing too! I haven't owned a car in about a decade and don't miss it a bit... there's a whole world of interesting things happening on the bus and the trains I'd miss now if I had to be riding in a car all by myself...
even better... maybe waking and walking???
Hi Mike,
Nice to hear from you man, and glad you got something out of this scattered poem... I'm not against routine, and in fact am just at the end of a semester's routine that I was just getting in the swing of... I'll probably be walking around lost for the next couple weeks until I fall into another... but then, ain't that the way it goes?
reminds me of a relative who only ever turns the bathroom light on with door open when she's not home. a sort of reverse signal to the observant.
ah, hasty mornings.
a breadmaker is a good alarm clock.
I like it how you use the scattered lines to run in with the theme.
The last three lines -- I put in to practice everytime I leave my room in the hostel.
Pearl,
Bread maker, huh...
Not just the sound, but a welcoming scent for the new days too!
aditya,
glad you like the form of this one... and yeah... think there's lots of people using the old TV for a security system... who says it's only good for advertising!
Hey Jon, I really like your writing style, it seems really fresh and honest.
I'm glad I found your blog, I'm looking forward to reading more of your stuff!
Hi Craig,
Glad you found your way through here... I've been following your blog for some time now... waiting on your next post!
;)
Thanks for the encouraging words on the writing here... honest and fresh are high compliments to me... and characteristics I'd like to have as a writer...
hope your semester is finishing up smoothly...
JP
I always leave the TV on!!
jon jon...
I have a lot of fun to read and think about your text but you're hard with the little French, that i am!how do you expect to me to follow you if you write in every sense ! surely, you remember my level of English!
it is very original, anyway, as your bottle of ketchup (which I understood clearly ). there are always some surprises and that's why I like to come read your blog, your text.
thank frenchtony
very, very cool.
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