The Universe Has On Its Traveling Shoes

They say the universe expands
at about 48 miles/72 kilometers
per second. What's the rush?

The universe never pulls over
to stay in a motel for the night.
It doesn't need a map or GPS

because it's everything, so it
knows where everything is.
It doesn't know where it's

going because it's perpetually
at the end of a road that never
ends, but the universe is going

in the correct direction because
there is no other direction.
When traveling, the universe

never packs light. (It is

light.) It always takes everything

with it, as indeed we often wish to do.



hans ostrom 2020

Narrow Present

No, you can't close the future
to make repairs. The past
is always open but people
tend to bring back the wrong
things from it. I find the present
to be very narrow, choked
as it is with ignorance and hatred.
Maybe now it will get the airing
out it has forever needed.


hans ostrom

"Counting the Beats," by Robert Graves

A love-and-death poem by Robert Graves, short lyric. Reading and video:

link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx7ArBNVUBo

"The Mysteries Remain," by H.D. (Hilda Doolittle)

Reading/video of a short poem by H.D. evoking a mythological, pantheistic view of life and nature. It alludes to Demeter and Bacchus, Greek gods.

link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LmU-FZSMkI

"Four Letter Word," by James A. Emanuel

A 20-second music/poetry video of James Emanuel's "Four Letter Word." As far as I know, Mr. Emanuel conceived of this form--the "jazz haiku." His collected poems: Whole Grain: Collected Poems  (Lotus Press 1991) is available on amazon.com and elsewhere.

Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP2eM6xsygU

"Who Am I?" by Carl Sandburg

Reading/video of a short poem by Carl Sandburg:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rybg3P86B8g

"Emmett Till," poem by James Emanuel

This poem crushes me. A recording/video. James Emanuel (1921-1913) was a fine poet who wrote, among other things, jazz haiku. He was also a scholar and professor who taught in the U.S. and abroad. He also wrote a book about Langston Hughes. I wish I had met him.

link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcPm3zTMVYo

"Let America Be America Again," Langston Hughes

A video/reading (from quite a while ago) of one of Langston Hughes's many protest poems, this one with a hopeful spirit: "Let America Be America Again":

link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78EKb0znCTI&t=162s

"Hammer," by Carl Sandburg

Recording/video of short poem by Carl Sandburg, "Hammer."  Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYxTInrG-bE

"Green," by D.H. Lawrence

A reading + video of a short poem by D.H. Lawrence. Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjKiY2tFRrM

"Alive Today With You" (song)

Recording of Roger Illsley performing "Alive Today With You," for which he wrote the music, and I wrote the lyrics:

link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv6djgQLPEU

"Silence," by e.e. cummings

A recording/video of a very short poem by e.e. cummings, "Silence."

The link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTNKM0znIrM

"Night, and I Traveling," by Joseph Campbell

A short poetry-video of "Night, and I Traveling," by the Irish poet Joseph Campbell (1879-1944), not the myth/archetype scholar Joseph Campbell. Here is a link:

"Night, and I Traveling"