The speaker points out that we don't really have
much of a grasp of things, not only the big things,
the important questions, but the small everyday
things. "How many steps up to your back yard? What
is the name of your district representative? What
did you have for breakfast? What is your wife's
shoe size? Can you tell me the color of your
sweetheart's eyes? Do you remember where you
parked the car?" The evidence is overwhelming.
Most of us never truly experience life. "We drift
through life in daydream, missing the true
richness and joy that life has to offer." When the
speaker has finished we gather around to sing
a few inspirational songs. You and I stand at the
back of the group and hum along since we have
forgotten most of the words.
Louis Jenkins
4 comments:
Along with E.E. Cummings' [anyone lived in a pretty how town], this poem reminds me to think about the things I notice, the words I say, etc.
In A.P. Wises' poem, "Profile of the Night Heron," the line comes, "...life depends everyday on what outlasts you." This same thought is that which I glean from Cummings' and Jenkins' poems.
It is interesting to notice what details are noticed by oneself and others... you can learn alot about someone by where ther attention is focused.
http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2009/10/22. Accessed 18 May 2010.
Yep, but some of the things really are insignificant and when we get to heaven, hopefully we forget most of them.
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