Saturday, September 15, 2012

Cool



image borrowed from bing


Cool

You know the first time
one encounters something or someone,
that initial impression may not be
accurate,
             essential,
                         mercurial,
                                      relevant or
                                                    magical;

like that pretty girl who challenged
your lame pick-up patter, who first
intimidated you before fascination
kicked in;

or that French art film that baffled you
in 1965, only to thrill you completely
in 2002;

or that trestle bridge that seemed so immense,
                                                                      regal,
                                                              towering,
                                                           imposing
when you were ten years old, but shrank
to insignificance the day you received
your AARP identification card--

and certainly the romantic unrealistic notion
that one can fall in love at first glance with
a blond cheerleader in a short skirt,
the verdant foothills below Mt. Rainier,
a 1968 Chevrolet SS Impala convertible
with a 396, factory 4-speed and dual glass packs,
the Space Needle,
Georgia O’Keefe’s paintings,
Frank Frazetta’s fabulous pulp covers,

is every bit as valid 
for each of us 
as the converse,

so I guess
that is probably why 
poetry was invented,
to explicate, illuminate, feature
the cognitive dissonance
that enriches and colors our days. 


Glenn Buttkus

September 2012
           
Posted over on dVerse Poets


Would you like to hear the author read this poem to you?

17 comments:

Susan Daniels said...

Glenn--I love this. You have captured so many firsts here, and so beautifully.

Unknown said...

Glenn. Such a great piece. I love how you incorporated a variety of style here, the slow down portion, merging with the rapid fire stanza, which is just way too cool, and that closing is outstanding. Terrific piece. Thanks

Brian Miller said...

ha i agree man...our first impressions are not always the ones we can rely on...things change over time...we change and grow to appreciate...and def the size of things change...there is an awe that first time that often colors our perception....

Mary said...

What an impressive write here, Glenn!! And an especially BRILLIANT ending!

Claudia said...

first times have their spell often just from being first times, no matter how commonplace they may be or how bad they may be..ha...poetry helps to get the pressure out of them a bit, don't you think..? smiles

Serena said...

I really liked this... I liked how you included so many firsts and the details you weaved in and then worked up to this great ending. Great poem.

Anonymous said...

So it is all perspective... I suppose so.

Anonymous said...

Great, really loved this... first impressions are not always so...

Ravenblack said...

I agree with those lines about how the first time, sometimes, something is encountered, it might not be appreciated or liked, and then encountered again, it's like "wow". :) Poetry is attempt to capture experiences, sometimes reading a poem on a subject, then encountering subject again makes one appreciate it more.

Enjoyed this insightful piece.

Anonymous said...

You nailed it. Maybe poetry is the vehicle though which we understand, make sense of everything around us, I clung all the salient, relevant examples you use here....the first memory about the Chevy- I relate to this having just got my first car (at the ripe old age of 34!!!- and I know I'll always remember it....it's not quite that Chevy though....man- I would LOVE to drive that

Nilanjana Bose said...

Agree that poetry helps us cut up all the portions into manageable pieces....enjoyed the different tempos and firsts in this

Tashtoo said...

Fantastic! Have to admit, quite enjoyed your chosen image as well ;) We remember so many things thru our poetry...and nothing better than going back to that first poem and realizing just how far you've evolved...my secret notebooks have provided me ample embarrassing moments when I flip back through. My...how we change (if we're lucky!)

mrs mediocrity said...

yes, yes, that is why poetry was invented, to capture the awe of life.

love the way you shaped this piece, falling down into all kinds of firsts and the changes we experience as we walk through life.

Sabio Lantz said...

Poetry celebrates that we can the specialness of anything -- without justification.

Thanx for making me think along with you -- this special moment.

Anonymous said...

So many of these resonnated for me. And comparing my poem to Woody Allen...I'm humbled. His work fascinates me. Thank you.

Umesh Rao said...

Glenn, I loved this poem. It was super 'cool'. I enjoyed the stairway of adjectives you have used :)

Chris Lawrence said...

amazing feeling and vibe to this Glenn love it