Background Noise
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Mon, 03/16/2015 - 19:43The sound of a distant jet buzzes in the background.
In the family room, the dialog from a television
takes on a common rhythm.
The sleeping dog shifts and snorts
my daughter, wearing her headphones
blurts out so brief random sound
in response to whatever she is listening to.
As I record my observations
I can hear the sound of the keys
on the laptop being depressed.
As I seek for writing material,
I scan Facebook and the evening news;
a scandal in Washington,
conflict internationally,
and gossip about celebrities.
All of this is background noise
as I sit in my chair
searching
for absolutes.
The Weather Map
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sun, 03/15/2015 - 20:12As a child I would watch the weather report
on the evening news
when my parents weren’t around.
I’d copy the weather map,
the fronts, the low pressure areas
so we would know
when to expect rain.
How will the crops grow?
When will there be good drying weather?
Will there be school tomorrow?
These were the concerns of my childhood.
Years later, I lived in a city
and the weather seemed much more remote,
like wind, fog or snow
in poems from yesteryear.
It would be what it would be,
until I moved on a boat
and the storms and tides
became much more immediate.
Just the Right Word
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sat, 03/14/2015 - 21:05I pause
motionless
looking out the window
searching for that word
as if it would float by
or the different view
would allow it to re-emerge.
What is that word,
that idea,
of waiting
for a thought to come.
If it were on the internet,
la song streaming,
which then paused,
I’d know what to call it.
Buffering.
But my own thoughts?
I glace over to the rocking chair
with my daughter’s book bag
currently sitting in it.
Nothing.
I glance around the room
at clutter on the piano bench
or the kitchen table.
If I sort through this pile of papers,
or this collection of knick knacks,
will I find the word I am looking for.
As I try to conjure up the word,
I think of a grandfather that had Parkinson’s
or an uncle with Alzheimer’s.
But I’ve always been absent minded,
too easily distracted,
always searching
for just the right
word.
Which Irish Writer are you?
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sat, 03/14/2015 - 10:43Okay, friends, help me out here. I’m sure you’ve all seen all those various quizzes out there, Which Arthropod are you? Which Minor Character in an Ayn Rand novel are you? Which slain young black man are you? Such quizzes are normative. They try to fit us into four or five social norms.
Normally, I attempt to resist the normative pressures of these quizzes, posting as a response to What Girl Scout Cookie are you, that I was channeling Rush Limbaugh and got Evil Lesbian Abortion Witchcraft Promiscuity cookies, or when asked what character I am in some show or book, responding with the most interesting yet very obscure character.
As we approach St. Patrick’s Day, we are seeing another stereotype presented, the drunken Irishman. A friend shared a post, Irish American buys all of Walmart’s offensive t-shirts, will return them March 18, about one person challenging this stereotype.
Instead of focusing on the Drunken Irishman, I thought it would be useful to create a quiz, “Which Irish Writer are you?” So far, the only thing I’m come up with is
Would you rather
Wander around Dublin all day?
Wait for someone who never shows up?
Study Irish Fairytales?When you think about the end, do you :
think about an Irish wake with lots of multilingual puns?
think about an Irish airman?
describe the end of a game in French?
Of course, this focuses on three of the best known Irish Male writers. While it may be useful in reframing the discussion from liquor to literature, it still promotes a narrow view.
So, my question to all of you: If you were creating a “Which Irish Writer are you?” who would you include in the quiz? Are their female writers that should be considered? How about philosophers?
Disruption
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Fri, 03/13/2015 - 20:14The beep, beep, beep of the clock radio disrupts my sleep
in the usual way as I start my daily routine.
On my laptop, I read of friends
disrupting their lives
to head to another conference
about disruption.
But the disruptions at the conference
are as likely to be as disruptive as the alarm clock.
They have become just another part
of the fabric of daily life
not really changing anything.
What would be truly disruptive
if not that new business plan
or piece of technology
that in the great scheme of things
really changes nothing?
Perhaps, a poem, a painting
or an unexpected smile.
