[stylist] Poem - "Manners" - Second Draft

Thu Jul 23 16:55:04 UTC 2015

Agree with everything Jackie says, grin.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jackie
Williams via stylist
Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2015 10:57 AM
To: 'Writers' Division Mailing List'
Cc: Jackie Williams
Subject: Re: [stylist] Poem - "Manners" - Second Draft

Bill,
I nominate you as our most prolific writer of poetry. You and Shawn are
getting us back to writing from travelogues to quality work. This is not to
say I did not enjoy all of the remarks about rednecks and Portland.
I do want to comment on your format on this last submission. 
To make any sense of this one, I had to put it in Word, and use the Control
H, and delete all of the "stars." There were 32 in all, and this totally
interfered with my comprehension. Also, two instances of words with no
spaces between, and the difficulty for one using JAWS is that one has to
spell out the word to have a clue, if they are unfamiliar words. Your spell
check should tell you if a space is lacking.
I do not mean to offend. I also do the same thing when I forget to do this.
And sometimes, even when I remember. But if you were not an exceptional
poet, I would not take the time to mention this. 

Jackie Lee

Time is the school in which we learn.
Time is the fire in which we burn.
Delmore Schwartz	 

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of William L
Houts via stylist
Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2015 3:47 AM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Cc: William L Houts
Subject: [stylist] Poem - "Manners" - Second Draft

Good Morning, Rabid Verse Fans,

Been working on this one for two or three days.  I'm not saying it's
perfect, but there's a political, altruistic theme here which I don't
necessarily express in other poems.  So I'm kind of into this one as an
advance in my style.  I recognize that I employ certain manners of syntax
and phrasing in many of my poems, and I'm striving to stretch myself, to
become more flexible, maybe even more unpredictable. In the meantime, enjoy,
if you like.

--Bill

---

*Manners*

**

**

*They're not for kissing prince foot,*

*or kneeling bareheaded before khans; *

*they're meant for our peers,and for the people who serve: *

*cashiers and countermen, waitresses, wives, the boy*

*who brings our paper. Right attention's the thing,*

*that we don't treat the humble  who bow to make their rent*

*like doors and dust mops, slammed and shaken.*

*Awaken to grace; don't fall into mastership.*

*We're greater than that. The planet's great charge:*

Fill their dusty cups with icy deep drink,

with water so cold it eases their griefs,

gives gladness, restores the soar

to oncebroken wings. Fill it again: unparch them, pass through

their bars and engrail them with mercies as deep

as your soul can yield. Love many and much, and touch

the untouchables:the imprisoned, forgotten, the slave:

cheer for how you've grown, and how much given

before you reach the flimflam grave.

-- 

"Oh, Sophie!  Whyfore have you eated all de cheeldren?"

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