Skorda's Seaside Taverna: A Break From All of This: The Idea of the Writer

Skopelos and Virgin

-by Skorda

Swallow that campari moon
when first you see it
across the water,
rising round and new above the mountain.
Open your mouth and swallow
while youth holds its roundness near,
and you are running fearless in the dark.
Hold it inside, it is still warm
and you will need its light,
there, inside you.

Down the road of time, somewhere
after you’ve aged, traveled,
Explored, discovered.
And the dust around your doorway
has been pounded hard and smooth under your feet.
When you find yourself growing weary and bored,
when your eyes see only ruins,
and your heart is empty.
You may believe, in your exhaustion,
that this is truth, at last.
That the mystery has unraveled,
leaving no wilderness to explore or tame.
All secrets have been shared,
the frontier has dissolved.
Know then, with these thoughts,
you have been swallowed.

The warm belly of the beast
comforts with confining darkness
and lulls with rhythmic sounds
Murmuring to you,
Curl up and sleep,
just go to sleep.

Shake your head,
stretch your legs,
do not sleep now.

Remember what you know.
You swallowed the moon,
you hold it inside you.
Not as a magpie hoarding shiny things,
or wearing the moon for beauty
or bartering the moon for wealth.
You swallowed the moon for this moment.
When you will walk to the water’s edge,
open your mouth, release the moon
and let its light build you a pathway
across the wine dark sea.
©Skorda 2008

Sunday, October 26, 2008

A Break From All of This: The Idea of the Writer

I have become so obsessed with this election, I can barely think of anything else. I endlessly surf the internet from blog to blog and the many youtube videos and comments and on and on well into the early hours. It will be a relief when this is finally over and President Obama readies himself to take the helm.But sometimes it becomes overwheming and downright stressful. Although most polls have Obama ahead by a good margin there remain those others like the AP poll and there remain some states, like FL, PA and MO that still need to push ahead before we can breathe a sigh of relief. I am beginning to get stomach cramps just thinking about the next week. So maybe it is time for a break. Something thoughtful and interesting. I am posting here the link to David Milch's"The Idea of the Writer" lecture series. Milch is a screenwriter and producer, he gave us what I believe are the best two series ever! "John From Cincinnati" and "Deadwood".
(Click on title)