Monday, 13 January 2014

Day 541: Happy Ideas

'I had the happy idea to call myself happy'.

We're into mid-January now when the blues can set in. So here's an anti-dote poem to them!  (And blue doesn't always have to be sad by the way, just look at the painting here by Marc Chagall. See more beautiful blue works: here)

Happy Ideas - Mary Szybist  

'I had the happy idea to fasten a bicycle wheel to a kitchen stool and watch it turn.' - DuChamp

I had the happy idea to suspend some blue globes in the air

and watch them pop.

I had the happy idea to put my little copper horse on the shelf so we could stare at each other
all evening.

I had the happy idea to create a void in myself.

Then to call it natural.

Then to call it supernatural.

I had the happy idea to wrap a blue scarf around my head and spin.

I had the happy idea that somewhere a child was being born who was nothing like Helen or
Jesus except in the sense of changing everything.

I had the happy idea that someday I would find both pleasure and punishment, that I would
know them and feel them,

and that, until I did, it would be almost as good to pretend.

I had the happy idea to call myself happy.

I had the happy idea that the dog digging a hole in the yard in the twilight had his nose deep in
mold-life.

I had the happy idea that what I do not understand is more real than what I do,

and then the happier idea to buckle myself

into two blue velvet shoes.

I had the happy idea to polish the reflecting glass and say

hello to my own blue soul. Hello, blue soul. Hello.


It was my happiest idea.

2 comments:

  1. My favourite artist and a lovely poem,,,that should help ward off the blues today :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh I love Chagall so much! There is a beautiful poem on his work by a modern Irish poet - I must find it. A lovely find of a poem yes!

    ReplyDelete

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