I FOUND IT

shower is easy:
You don't have to do anything
just stand there
let the waters do the job

by the way, I think I found it:
The place where to build a house
but to get there we will need
a spaceship

::: ::: :::

Picture: Going

ANYTHING

there was a time

when the least of things you would do

had meaning

for all of them, around you

now you struggle

to find a thing to do, anything

that would have meaning

even if it were just for you

:::: ::: :::

Picture: Meaning, meaning

YOU HAVE LITTLE TO SHOW

 

lanky: You're pretty lanky
but that's OK
in place of big muscles
you've got nerves enough

next, shivering: Not your soul
wellspring: You are
a wellspring of ideas, they say
handiwork: Hmm, you have little to show

::: ::: :::

Picture: In place of big muscles

I CAN STILL FIND MY WAY

I get old
(forgive me)
I lost my hair
I lost half my strength

I get lost in the dark
(oh, well)
I can still find my way
in the light

::: ::: :::

Picture: Human Clouds

SUGAR CUBES & BROKEN CUP

with a sugar cube

I know what do do

oh, won't you

give me one?

with the broken cup

you know what to do

oh, won't you

take mine?

::: ::: :::

Photo: Sugar

(Inspired by this Poetry Wednesday Writing Prompt)

THEY WANT THEIR OWN NAME

imagine this
characters in my dreams
they want their own name, every one
they want to be free

there is a great park
they are hiding in there
if I go looking for them, they will... what?
kill me? but I don't care

::: ::: :::

Photo : On the way

THEY LIVE WHEN YOU DREAM

they compete amongst themselves
for your attention, your care, your love
you know almost everything about them
they know almost nothing about you

they live when you dream
they sleep when you don't
whether or not they have dreams of their own
I don't know, but they are fighting to exist

::: ::: :::

Photo : The people in your dreams

JOY

you do find things
within yourself
you never knew you had
until you looked

surprisingly perhaps there is peace
a kind of strength
self-confidence
joy

::: ::: :::

Photo: It's all there

IS THERE A FLOWER THAT IS GREY?

this table desk at work is grey
now I am trying to remember, is there a flower
that is grey?
I don't know

love is burning you and me
and over the years it is burning
less and less, but the pain that we feel
is more and more

::: ::: :::

Photo: There is light in gray

THIS JOB

this job comes with a chair, a table, a computer
and very little to do
now there are grapes by the window
ready to be eaten

nobody seems hungry for them
but me, can you see how it is interesting?
unfortunately I don't have a clear plan, what to do
if I'd run away from this job

::: ::: :::

Photo: Ready to be eaten

TROUTS IN A FISH TANK

at the new supermarket on Rustaveli Avenue
trouts in a fish tank
thoughts without words
that was four days ago

since then I've been looking at this picture of them
trouts in a fish tank
thoughts without words
myself unable to write

::: ::: :::

Photo: Many of us

OUTSIDE THE CONSCIOUS MIND

they say the world doesn't exist
outside the conscious mind
and that a tree doesn't make any noise
when it falls down, if no one is around to hear it

I don't know about the world
but I would say
outside the conscious mind
there beauty surely can't exist

::: ::: :::

Photo: To be or not to be (goldenrods)

WHAT HE SEES AMONG THE RUINS

today again
I swam as far away from the shore as I dared
a bit further there was a sail boat
"what are you doing here?" I asked myself

there is this quote by Franz Kafka
about the man who cannot come to terms with his life
one hand he can use to ward off despair
the other one, to note down what he sees among the ruins

::: ::: :::

Photo: What are you doing here?

AFTER LIFE THERE IS LIFE

an abandoned hotel
in every room a ghost
each of them with a secret
about this one lady

after life there is life
not yours
but that of everything
that survives you

::: ::: :::

Photo: In every room a ghost

ANY ROAD IN THE WORLD

we were looking at the road
"nice one"
"yes, nice one"
but we had no reason to go there

any road in the world
I can tell you where it's going to
except the one
we take, you and me

::: ::: :::

Photo: You and me

GREAT PITS, REALLY

they are playing with our mind
using light effects
creating shapes out of darkness
and telling us where to step or step not

today I visited a cave
this evening I revisited some of the "news"
of the last eleven years
great pits, really

::: ::: :::

Photo: Exploring

THE BEACH IS OURS

today I visited this beach
where top generals used to meet
to discuss their plans, rockets, tanks, armies
that was just a generation ago

top generals don't come here anymore
although they still meet
to discuss their plans, rockets, tanks, armies
where they go I don't know, but the beach is ours

::: ::: :::

Photo: Sandcastles

UNDER A SKY GOLD

under a sky gold
me searching for treasure
"it must be here, somewhere," I think
I am an idiot, won't think of looking up

it's all here: Left and right
and up and down
it's growing and growing
under a sky gold

::: ::: :::

Photo: Treasure

ANYTHING YOU WANT

just before the vanishing point
there is a beautiful, naked flower
offering you "Anything you want"
but time is short

you say "No thank you"
and take the road
and meet the dead flowers
with a smile

::: ::: :::

Photo: Anything you want

WHAT TO DO THERE?

you know a beautiful place when you see one
then comes the question
what to do
what to do there?

take a picture, yes, one hundred
bring a friend there, if you trust them
then what
then what, but love?

::: ::: :::

Photo: Questions

WHERE THIS IS GOING TO

dear, dear
I am writing you to say
that all is well, but I don't know
where this is going to

the sky doesn't know
the sea doesn't know
the land doesn't know
and I am not asking you

::: ::: :::

Photo: Nowhere, almost

THE HIDDEN FLOWER

it's the secret thoughts you want to hear about

the hidden flower in the secret garden

some universal truth nobody talks about

what doesn't really fit in a few words

it's this moment when you are happy

although perhaps absent-minded

you just arrived where you were going to

you are there, the hidden flower

::: ::: :::

Photo: Arrival

(embroidery on the towel I usually take with me to the beach)

A MAN HE PUT THE SKULL UP ON THE WALL

see the beast has died
the flesh is gone
that was never meant to remain
it's gone, the life is gone

a man he put the skull up on the wall
there is it beautiful and strong
it will guard us against wrong
unless you think it

::: ::: :::

Photo: Less than a head, more than a head

(today in Sukhum)

HELLO, HELLO!

on this remote beach, today
I was in the waters, ten meters away from the shore
two guys walked by, calling me
"Come here, we want to talk to you!"

I was not interested. "Hello, hello!" I said
"COME HERE, WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU!" they insisted
"Hello, hello!" I kept repeating, playing dumb
they obviously didn't know what to do. I swam away

::: ::: :::

Picture: What you left behind

MY HOPE OF YOU

we are always alone and tired
it doesn't matter: The trees, the flowers
the house where you sleep
the last time when you laughed

alone and tired
but why should you make matters worse?
killing what little joy I had
my hope of you

::: ::: :::

Picture: Not exactly empty

(today in V.E.)

IN THE DEEP

in the deep, spaceman going
in the deep, all stars the same
but there is one, you can hear it singing
come you to me! come you to me!

in the deep, spaceman thinking
in the deep, dreaming of the sea
but the waves, the singing of the waves
come me to you! come me to you!

::: ::: :::

Photo: Hyperdrive

(this afternoon in Sukhum)

THE GREAT PAIN CAME

once or twice a year
or perhaps every couple of years
a great pain comes to my chest
and suddenly life looks very short

this just happened: The Great Pain Came
I tried running away from myself
hiding under the bed

pretty funny, no? now it's gone, the pain

::: ::: ::: 

Photo: Clandestino wanting a piece of steak

JUST FOR AN INSTANT

a few days ago, as I was swimming
I saw lots of fish
and thought:
The dolphins will soon be back

today I saw them from afar
black dolphins, white dolphins
sun light flashing on their fins
just for an instant

::: ::: :::

Photo: Fishermen in between worlds

WRITER MAN IN BETWEEN WORLDS

I found this old picture
while looking for another one:
Fishermen in between worlds
the sky and waters

writer man in between worlds
a picture in a drop of water
thoughts drifting across the sky, your mind
I am this old picture

::: ::: :::

Photo: Is it ever too late?

THE SMELL OF BURNING COAL

this evening somebody was burning coal

nearby the house where I live in Sukhumi

and the smell of it

was reminding me of where I first met it

Issikul & Ürümqi were far from home

for the Montrealer whom I used to be

the smell of burning coal was strong and strange

and it was making me feel strong and strange

::: ::: :::

Photo: The view at night, from behind the house where I live

THINGS BETTER LEFT UNSAID

note to myself:
This is September 1st, 2012
late enough in the history of Free speech
yet there is a number of things better left unsaid

I go writing short poems
without truly speaking my mind
playing safe, sharing little things
today I didn't go to swim

::: ::: :::

Photo: Things better left unsaid

I DON'T MIND

they are supposed to be two watchmen here
at my home in Sukhum
not my choice, it's kind of a racket
I don't mind

there is only one of them guards, right now
old guy, a relative of some famous writer
he is completely drunk
I don't mind

::: ::: :::

Photo: Keep smiling

THE LAST OF ME

swimming at sea or writing poetry
no need to go far before you be alone
waters too cold or too dirty
verses too deep or too wavy

what if the dolphins have come back
what if I have a heart attack
what if a boat comes speeding towards me
Sea! take me with my words, the last of me

::: ::: ::: 

Photo: "TurBase", today

THE ROAD REALLY HAD MUCH TO SAY

seven hours on the road today
going from Tbilisi to Sukhum
we crossed the bridge over the No man's land
I saw a young boy walking with his bicycle

drivers #1 and #2 had nothing to say
driver #3 spoke a little, mostly about the rain
perhaps I should write: "The road had nothing to say..."
but as you can guess, the road really had much to say

::: ::: :::

Photo: Not the most exciting pic

SOME FIREWORKS, NOT BAD

a friend asked me to welcome
his brother with wife and baby boy
whose first name is the same as mine
he's one year and a half

so we share first name
and the human condition
and a minute ago together we watched
some fireworks, not bad

::: ::: :::

Photo: The unique and inescapable features of being human

THERE IS NOTHING HERE

there is nothing here
I surround myself with no favorite object
nothing on the walls
nothing on the shelves

when you come here you will find nothing
no book
no little stone
not even a piece of my heart

::: ::: :::

Picture : Nothing door

RELAX, BE HAPPY, COMFORTABLE

guys in the courtyard playing basketball
what I am doing here?
writing, breaking my back
the Moon just came out

the other night, I went to the Thai massage place
down here, not even ten meters away from my front door
the Thai masseuse didn't know any English, Russian, Georgian
"Sbay, sbay," she told me: Relax, be happy, comfortable

::: ::: :::

Picture: Guy with a basketball in the center

SOMETHING IN THE CENTER OF THINGS

a church bell ringing

it's eight thirty in Tbilisi

men are singing in a nearby flat

earlier there was a flute player

crickets are chirping

the heavy metal door down stairs is banging

this keyboard is making clicking noises

I am typing: There is always something in the center of things

::: ::: :::

Picture: Is that light making sound?