Sunday, May 31, 2009

Radio

the message arrived the same day
he was diffidently at work by that time

listening to the news
words he had never heard
words indeed he had never even
listened to

what it meant to be freed
to be silenced of this babble
within him

leaving himself

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Cheshire

slowly i smiled
i don't care to
dwell on it
you're thinking i am
able to see
in the dark because
you think
you're thinking
i am a cat or an owl

Friday, May 29, 2009

Night

once he dreamed, a boy, then
night swelled, a consuming
darkness, unblinking
at the spark, the silver, the sprawl

afterward, only the night

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Beyond Belief (Almost)

naked flame that was what
she was wearing
reason said it was difficult
to believe in
to think of it
and how all of it
could not be
otherwise
with all the irony consequent
it did not but it almost seemed to
much of the time
really seem to be there

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

All I Know

This morning I don't know why
She was leaving saying
I did well enough
She'll ask me again
I'll have to tell her I
don't think
I don't know all I know

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Perhaps

she had been scintillating, perhaps
in a dream of dreamers dreaming
of her
perhaps the dream, still, was her

she fell silent, perhaps
she was a dream, perhaps
they were a dream, perhaps

Monday, May 25, 2009

Oklahoma, U.S.A.

She saw him just before
Too many, too much
Her hope
Into the dust

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Fooled by Mirrors

And sometimes that was it
slow and puzzling
a dirty rainbow
allowed to penetrate
dazzling volumes.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Drawing to a Close

for Mary Sprague

"What's she doing?" was the question.
"Making paper black," I answered.
"Is that good?" he asked.
"Better," I said, "than if she
isn't."


T. Renner, "Tree (for Mary Sprague)," 2009, colored ink on notebook paper, 3" x 3".

For more of my drawings, paintings and photographs, visit Tony Renner, Artist..

Thursday, May 21, 2009

"Haiku" Posted On A Handful of Stones

Fiona Robyn has posted one of my poems, "Haiku," on her blog A Handful of Stones!

Robyn says that "a small stone is a polished moment of paying proper attention."

"Haiku" is a reworking of a poem, see below, that I wrote in 1979, when I was 18 years old. My notes indicate that it was accepted for publication in a magazine called "Lore-X."
In the Water?

Little darting fish
swim around and around
the aquatic lovers

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Passing

As though to avoid encounter
the spirit passed through
the wall
into the netherworld.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Daybreak

In an hour or so
the sun would rise and
her day would begin.

Monday, May 18, 2009

The Past, Remembered

Not too many years ago
well, maybe a hundred
or maybe less
well, sometime

Sunday, May 17, 2009

To Not Forget

He remembered at that instant.
A rare phenomenon.
She drew a long, deep breath.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Big Leagues

She bit her lip
thinking that it was a good game.
He smiled, then, glad to be playing.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Carnival

Too noisy to care
His heart
The girls laughing now
The sight of them a shock
The luxury of restlessness

Thursday, May 14, 2009

His Head Was Spinning

Dizzy, he pulled levers, flicked switches
light swirled, desired cried
branches blossomed, pistils shuddered

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Eggs! No!

He had already decided that the eggs
had to go.
Smooth.
Round.
White.
Unbearable.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Changes

A delicious bedroom door
couldn't possibly turn his
daughter into an outboard motor,
could it?

Monday, May 11, 2009

Listen Here, Partner

To understand one story
told many times
in diverse voices.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Born To Lose

The first man to quit and
go elsewhere
lived for years and years
and years there
and then died, as he would
have done
had he stayed put. You can't
win.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Geology 101

Rivers of doubt
Ribbons of worry
Mountains of pride
Collapse into a mist
of longing

Friday, May 8, 2009

November '54

The cold November of 1954
remains in mind
like a shadow-soul caught
between heaven and hell.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Idea

A good idea would be
an idea that would make
King Solomon ponder it for
no little while.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Good Morning

She woke at the
sound of the birds
welcoming with
their morning song
the rising sun.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

The Choir Sings

Having nothing better to do
the robins
formed a choir in a
blossoming apple tree and
sang continuously their
apple tree song.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Satisfaction

An exercise in logic
is satisfied.

His attention
left open for her.

As if she were seeking.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Different Rather Than Difficult

Uncertain, the vital seconds went by
He said unhappily,
"Don't ask me how."
A vague recollection
different rather than difficult
A sudden sense of a picture
From behind her
He parted her lips
And thought finally, desperately.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Huevos

"The sun is striking an egg instead, then?"
I asked
bewildered by this development.

Friday, May 1, 2009

See! Birds!

Glorying in the sensation of swift flight,
the seabirds
dive
down
into
the
sea spearing fish with
their bills and rocket back into the sky.