Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Tightwire, Eric Bachman and Singleton 2007

I tiptoe
on the highwire....
no net,
no stopping now,
and fall....

ten thousand stories,
endings,
punchlines not yet told
and land in the net,
a butterfly jolted,
captured,
kicking barefooted on the wild trapeeze....

And you're there,
on the wire,
halfway to my dungeon in the sky,
bloodless
and daring the ground...
"join us,
break us,
knock us the hell out of here"...

and we laugh
because our eyes never leave
the beautiful,broken,
colored, cracked
space
of our very own touch,
suspended in nowhere,
here,
half way to there....

I step
you step,
You reach
I reach,
I fall
You fall,
And the crowd wooshes and roars,
Catastrophe is what they paid for
with ooooohs and ahhhhhhs and
two nickel tickets.....

and we make it every time....

57 comments:

eric1313 said...

You did great, once again. I'll get some material together sometime soon. We have so much here on these walls, it's almost frightening.

My aunt died last night at 3:30 AM. I'll be around for a while, but this weekend I wont.

Keep the candle lit.

singleton said...

(((Eric)))....
I'm so sorry for your loss,
for the hard,hard letting go,
and the sudden emptiness everywhere. Wishing you peace, my friend, and love, and
belief.....
Love grows, that I know
And you'll feel her, see her, hear her often....
Listen to the wind....

singleton said...

I wrote a love letter tonight
sign language
on the dusky
smoke riddled window
that shades
me from the world,
from the neighbors passing by,
walking dogs
and jogging
(God, I envy them)...
and the mailman,
the boyscouts collecting
clothing for the poor,
the pizza delivery man meant
to be banging the chimes next door....

I wrote a love letter,
carved it in the
left over soot
and yesterday's soul
painted on my window....

Peace....

It reads the same inside out and backwards....

in the mirror

in the sunlight

in the aftermath of falling stars...

eric1313 said...

Ohhhh...!!!

Beautiful! I'm reading some other pages, but figured I'd check out what was going down here in Flutterby land, and am I glad I did.

THAT is a Singleton original and a half.

You should draw something to go with it, because it's as good as anything I've ever seen come from your magic keyboard.

eric1313 said...

And the sentiment hits me deep.

Singleton, talking to you and everyone else has done a lot of good for me. Like I said, but most of all, what you and so many others have said, my aunt Theresa is always going to be riding shotgun in my heart. Always.

The falling star
has landed in my soul,
where it always was,
and always
will be.

singleton said...

Real time clink! Ta!Dah! I got off work early~whoooooohoooooo!

Eric,
I truly believe that about your Aunt,
you'll feel her
see her
hear her
throughoutever....
I know you've climbed the hippie pages before and heard me rambling on or talkin' about Nadine and Joe. After Nadine passed away, people would call me, come up to me and embrace me, always the same, their sorrow for mine, and tell me they knew how terribly I missed her....
It took me a while to become
brave enough to tell them....
I didn't have to miss her,
she was still with me....
When Joe passed,
they understood.....

We might not get to clank another beer or hike another inch of sandy beach together,
but I feel them
often,
never far
and know.....
if I needed them....

And for this I have great peace...
and for their freedom...

I send you these thoughts on angel wings, my friend

Maithri said...

Wow! For once... I'm speechless.

God bless you both,
and all the cris crossing circles within the greater whole

May you be held in the curve of love,

M

singleton said...

Maithri...

of course,
the curve of love,
the beginning,
the middle
the neverending
of a circle....

the curve...

and your blessings are
ring bearers,
birds with white wings,
tidings
beribboned,
and the dance....

and Friday's are for dancin'....

peace~love

singleton said...

It's a new day.
Not Monday, Tuesday, Thursday,
but this day
never named before.

...the one I've been waiting for

eric1313 said...

...for so long
a new day
with long eye lashes
that only need to bat
to make me their
number one fool

A new day
with a new agenda
a new look
and a new feel--
like waves washing over me
sublime and holy

a new day
that will let me know
it was worth the wait
when it pulls up from
behind the eastern edge
throwing handfuls of warmth
on our faces
that pull the covers up
and over
for one more ten minute snooze
or one more "let's pretend"
one more day
that we are the only ones
left on earth to see born

a new day
waiting
for a new night

all that's needed
is a name
because we
can fill in the rest

eric1313 said...

Holy! We clinked at the 6:57, just a day apart...

That's a sign...

Porch par-tay!

eric1313 said...

Whoops... yours was an AM clink...

I'm not good with mornings, unless I've been up all night.

singleton said...

But on a new day
the mornings
are eggs over easy
sunny side up,
and the night
is a
drunken olive
sound asleep
and comfy,
hammocked in the
arms of a martini moon,

on a new day
the resurrection
of all that could've been
into all that will be
is tickertape,
flutterby,
a dragonfly on the water
and
yesterday
is a dream
we don't remember
but we dance to in deja vue

a ghostless summer
a bottomless Tuesday
a forgotten love
jumping from a birthday cake....

a new day
is all we
ever
asked for....

eric1313 said...

A new day
is what
we will have
when the brown monday
through
glittergold sunday
plastic wrap
is shucked

and the light shines
on a day
that even God said
was a good one

singleton said...

I pushed my quarters over the edge
Plunked them
onto the bartender's side
smiled
and chugged the last hoo-rah,
twirled
and shimmied off the seat,
another day
another night
another song on the juke box played for a dime,
I almost called it a Tuesday
and walked out the door....

But it was a new day
and
only three quarters fell in the well,
the other one
modgepodged itself
to my fingertips
and wouldn't let go
not even to smoke....
so I giggled
and wiggled
and the jukebox had hiccups
and caught on fire....

eric1313 said...

it smoked
fizzed
sizzled
and stirred our careworn bodies
into a fast-forward flying tango
a rewind reality check
a pause and let's go
gimme three steps kind of
momentum
coursing across the floor
like a hot spring on an icy
mountain top

and we weren't the only ones
moving
shaking
rubber band twanging
and not once faking...

The best is yet to come
the worst is yet to come

We can take it in stride
or in full-flight regalia

This day is one of many
and all it's own color
it's own flavor

There's only one like it
and that's right now
this second
this moment

and to think we only know it
by the one name we can think of

Today

singleton said...

This moment
This Margarita
This Tia Maria
spin me on the floor
is everything
and more
wrapped up
in cellophane,
zip lock
bags
to go.....

Too many people,
too many fraidy cats,
too many fools,
worried about the two step
the swing me up and
swing me low,
"dont drop me on the floor",
won't know this moment
like we know it,
teetering on the edge,
barefoot toes on the drumroll,
making boombox
outa nothin'.....

And the show goes on.....

singleton said...

Hey! If you go to wordpress or worse, I'm gonna have a hissy fit! JSYK......:)

eric1313 said...

because this is the day,
the time of our lives,
our chariot swings low
swings so very sweet
and heavy with
the swamp beat
rhythm and blues,
sticky with sweat
and high on the
drug of living each moment
to meet and make love
to the next one to come...

This is the time
this is the place
and we are inheritors
of the long night ahead

"I won't let you fall"

And I never will--

But somethings just happen
and we can never control
the whys or the hows

Some people fall forever
through the blue sky of love
and the hazy clouds of doubt

And sometimes we land
in the arms of the one
we dreamed would catch us

Today is that day--
a brand new day
never before known

name it
and it's yours

name it
and let's take our time
coming home for the night.

eric1313 said...

I was so kidding about that!

I just hope the blogger people read what I said and fix this thing! You know how many comments get eaten by the cranky blog machine? Tons! They need to work out the bugs, and soon.

Not that I'm going anywhere...

How are you? I missed you, too.

singleton said...

It was the wind
indigo dark and aglow
etch a sketching paisley
patterns in the sky
chimney sweeping
leaves and cigarette cellophanes
up my legs
climbing like mad spiders
over my skin....
the wind,
wasted and
wobbly,
spilling his soul.....

And I thought it was a harp....

singleton said...

it was the rain
orange popsicle melting dripping from my chin,
smile painted on....
henna moon on my lips,
the rain
dripping from my hair
wet sand leaking from an hour glass
cracked,
the rain
a leaky faucet
in a tub full of "Calgon take me away",
the drain slurping warm waters and
my toes perched under the spigot
christened by the dream-slow
waterfall,
the rain
on the sidewalk,
crocodile cryin' on a tinroof....

And I thought it was a harp......

singleton said...

it was the sun

of a new day,
and I thought it was a harp....

Princess Pointful said...

The lack of fear of falling... what an inspiring idea.

singleton said...

princess...And we all fall down! It's the bounce that counts, the getting up again, the free~falling on the way there....
fear of falling....
fear of climbing....
fear of living....
and sometimes, we have to be fearless! Wishing you peace and love and
all a holiday blessed!

eric1313 said...

It's not the height of the fall,
it's the bounce that counts

It's not the fear of the end
but the free fall toward it
making knees knock and buckle
and heart beats flutter
like unsure, untested wings
at the end of summer
when it's time to go

It's not the climb to the sky
but the thought of how high
the idea of how can I
the wonderment and why
that makes it hard
to get a hand hold on

It's not the thought of dying
but the fear of living
that makes us want fly
to the curve of the horizon
and disappear into the night
the sun can do it
why can't I?

But we have to be fearless--
or enough to try
and hope that it's enough
to survive the free fall
and bounce
no matter how high

singleton said...

the big wheels came tonight
holiday in a hummer
little engine purring
rich little stories
wrapped in a
million dollar
flower-rama,
Mary K in a box....

Happy Holidays, sweetie,
I'm not impressed....

we're just the who's down
in whoville.....

and all you need is love....

singleton said...

clink! I didn't see you jump the fence,
didn't hear the door creak,
didn't hear the pop!
of cowboys in the dark....
clink!

eric1313 said...

Princess

Wishing all the same to you, my sweet friend. I'm glad you made it by again.

And Singleton! Look at the poem above this one. It's inspired by your mini poem you wrote to her.

And I love the harp poems...

I wrote one earlier, over at 'gimmie peace, a lot like them, and cut it out of the box to take it here, but I forgot about it and it's gone to forgotten clipboard heaven.

But this is still nice!

Hope you clink! soon.

p&l

eric1313 said...

there you are!

clink!

singleton said...

ta! dah!

eric1313 said...

How are you? Haven't talked to you in a while...

singleton said...

It's finally
Christmas....
tripping on tinsel,
zappin'out on old times...

Friends in the kitchen,
laughter in the wind....

I love it...
And I've waited forever
for this moment
this cookie cutter
deja vue

eric1313 said...

A blue lady in waiting
red roses, too

singleton said...

Christmas is our
Thanksgiving
our day of saving grace,
our day of
wrapping up the year behind us,
and praying for the year to come,
and in this little world,
we'll celebrate tomorrow...
Clink!
the past and every butterfly
wing yet to flutter, and
every fluttered wing behind
us,
a breath,
that moved us forward,
that hovered,
kept us here,
and JSYK,
you were a huge part of this
year,
this moving on,
this growing,
this learning,
these wings spreading.....

eric1313 said...

The tree is green
the lights a technicolor
a rainbow times two

and the best gift of all
walks from the kitchen
into full view

A blue lady in waiting
with a song playing
just for you

singleton said...

and so I thank you, my friend....
and wish you a Merry Christmas....
and for all of us,
the circle,
may the New year be blessed....

singleton said...

"all you need is love, love, love"
and call me
a fool or a saint
but
yeah,
"all you need is love...."

eric1313 said...

I feel the same way! You're going to make me cry!

There's a tear in my lemondrop
there's a smirk in my smokering
there's a catch in my voice
and a miracle waiting
to be typed
on the very next line.

You too have made this year special, Singleton. There's nobody else like you at all. Nobody who would step up and write with me like this.

What a great friend I have
somebody to share the long distance
laughs, cries and clinks!
somebody who knows the how and why
and puts them in words
in verse
in line
and we make music
to live by
as well as our click e clack dance
in the nights gone by

and those to come

eric1313 said...

Merry Christmas to you and yours
thanks for letting me in on this world, I've grown right in front of you, ya know.

singleton said...

OK, so if you were here
I would tell you to scooch
in closer
and grab
your lemon drop by the arms
and
face to face we'd laugh
before I could finish my
endless sentence
that goes like this....
"and so..."
"and so...."
"and so...."
"and so...."
and in the end,
we'd laugh
and the "so..."
would ride the wind....
and we'd laugh.....

singleton said...

and the sentence
would become
a circle.....

eric1313 said...

The thought behind it always was.

A circle to be shared
a laugh to be caught

we make the wind
on these not so silent nights
we make the resolutions
and throw them out there
to see what sticks
and what spreads it's wings to fly

singleton said...

And I make resolutions
like revolutions
and we
dance in fires
gone wild,
it's peace
created
colored
pretended
make-believe

And as silly
as that sounds
I
do it all again...

eric1313 said...

"and so..."

"no way!"

"yes way!"

"and then what?"

"hold on and I'll tell ya..."

And many bottles would be drunk
many smokes would fill the tray
so many words would take flight
and the lines would be written
on the old warped wall
from the floor to the ceiling
and each one would be
its own reason
its own sun,
its own moon
and the seasons would fly by
on wings that we crafted
just for the occasion

eric1313 said...

clink!

You aren't silly, even if I call you silly hippie.

singleton said...

Sweet friend, The Children here
are grown
and laughing
and telling stories
of when the Hippie Mom
raised 'em
and took 'em to the fair
and how they learned
to wear boots
when they weren't uptown
and how we buried them
under sandunes
toes to the sun
and ate oysters and cheese
at New Years Eve beck and call...
the children are here...
dancing at me feet...

singleton said...

And Im suddenly awkward
the smallest of them all,
towered by five o clock shadows
and size 13 shoes,
babies with babies,
and yesterday,
a chicken quesadallas...

eric1313 said...

dance with them all night, my friend. I'll dance with you, long distance style. In words and thoughts and ideas.

And you can color between the lines
and all over the place
because it's a nationwide party
and a special night
for all of us who know a hippie and love what we learned
from her "silly" ways,
learned how to be
just a little more free

eric1313 said...

...and to party every day!

eric1313 said...

clink!

singleton said...

clink!
peace~love my prophetic poetic friend....
and cheers to all we've said
and been and
done
and
grown
and to the wings....
the silly
hippie
transluscent
phospherescent
mermaid
butterflied wings...

and the sidewalks...

singleton said...

that never end...

eric1313 said...

after all...

isn't each step
a new beginning?

isn't everything we see
a brand new discovery?

and every song we sing
is a first in all the world
every line we type
breathes it's first or second life
and takes us a little closer
to the place we envision
when we close our eyes
and laugh
and say loudly
to no one in particular
"Yes!"

Clink! To the night. Have some fun with the family, and we'll rap another night, OK?

Take care, Silly Hippie!

The Silly Poet will do the same.

I think I'll grow some wings and gather some of these lines up...

Oh, and later on, clink me real time, I'll have something new up on the walls at the tree house.

Lola Starr said...

Hee, sounds like my life lately. Nice way of describing it, guys. Happy Holidays!!!!

eric1313 said...

Karma

Merry Christmas to you, as well, Karma.

The high life is not easy, but it has it's rewards for those who have patience.


Singleton

I see you through all new eyes!

Made my brown eyes blue! (and a little green.)

The Butterfly Bar said...

"Aftermath of Falling Stars" is done! I did add to it, after all.

You will love it.