Notice Notice

Some people refer to the kind of poems I like as depressing. I'll only address this one here. I think it's great. It seems relevant for every day. Fred Rodgers that said the three keys to success are be kind, be kind, and be kind. Sadly most people don't define success the way he did. According to Forbes' magazine's Thoughts on the Business of Life, a gage of someone's goodness is how well they treat someone from whom they stand to gain nothing. Rabbi Paysach Krohn tells the story of a woman in Israel who was arguing with an older man over rights to an apartment. The man was next on the list but the woman claimed she should get it because she was younger and would live longer. The man was offended and told her that no-one knows how long they'll live. Soon after their disagreement the woman was killed in an Arab attack. A rabbi who witnessed both the argument and the woman's death wrote these words from the point of view of the old man: "don't be so hot, let your temper turn cold, for a man doesn't know who is young and who is old." These are some thoughts that I associated with this poem.


Notice
Steve Kowit

This evening, the sturdy Levi's
I wore every day for over a year
& which seemed to the end
in perfect condition,
suddenly tore.
How or why I don't know,
but there it was: a big rip at the crotch.
A month ago my friend Nick
walked off a racquetball court,
showered,
got into this street clothes,
& halfway home collapsed & died.
Take heed, you who read this,
& drop to your knees now & again
like the poet Christopher Smart,
& kiss the earth & be joyful,
& make much of your time,
& be kindly to everyone,
even to those who do not deserve it.
For although you may not believe
it will happen,
you too will one day be gone,
I, whose Levi's ripped at the crotch
for no reason,
assure you that such is the case.
Pass it on.