Posted via email from PARKXVI | Comment »
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
Billy Collins's “Tension”
Never use the word suddenly just to create tension.
—Writing FictionSuddenly, you were planting some yellow petunias
outside in the garden,
and suddenly I was in the study
looking up the word oligarchy for the thirty-seventh time.When suddenly, without warning,
you planted the last petunia in the flat,
and I suddenly closed the dictionary
now that I was reminded of that vile form of governance.A moment later, we found ourselves
standing suddenly in the kitchen
where you suddenly opened a can of cat food
and I just as suddenly watched you doing that.I observed a window of leafy activity
and beyond that, a bird perched on the edge
of the stone birdbath
when you suddenly announced you were leavingto pick up a few things at the market
and I stunned you by impulsively
pointing out that we were getting low on butter
and another case of wine would not be a bad idea.Who could tell what the next moment would hold?
another drip from the faucet?
another little spasm of the second hand?
Would the painting of a bowl of pears continueto hang on the wall from that nail?
Would the heavy anthologies remain on their shelves?
Would the stove hold its position?
Suddenly, it was anyone's guess.The sun rose ever higher in the sky.
The state capitals remained motionless on the wall map
when suddenly I found myself lying on a couch
where I closed my eyes and without any warningbegan to picture the Andes, of all places,
and a path that led over the mountains to another country
with strange customs and eye-catching hats,
each one suddenly fringed with colorful little tassels.Collins, Billy. Ballistics. New York: Random House, 2008. eBook.
[[posterous-content:pid___0]]
Posted via email from PARKXVI | Comment »
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Friday, June 1, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)