[New-Poetry] Aphorisms

[TheOldMole]

Or Mark Strand.

1    If a man understands a poem,
     he shall have troubles.

2    If a man lives with a poem,
     he shall die lonely.

3    If a man lives with two poems,
     he shall be unfaithful to one.

4    If a man conceives of a poem,
     he shall have one less child.

5    If a man conceives of two poems,
     he shall have two children less.

6    If a man wears a crown on his head as he writes,
     he shall be found out.

7    If a man wears no crown on his head as he writes,
     he shall deceive no one but himself.

8    If a man gets angry at a poem,
     he shall be scorned by men.

9    If a man continues to be angry at a poem,
     he shall be scorned by women.

10   If a man publicly denounces poetry,
     his shoes will fill with urine.

11   If a man gives up poetry for power,
     he shall have lots of power.

12   If a man brags about his poems,
     he shall be loved by fools.

13   If a man brags about his poems and loves fools,
     he shall write no more.

14   If a man craves attention because of his poems,
     he shall be like a jackass in moonlight.

15   If a man writes a poem and praises the poem of a fellow,
     he shall have a beautiful mistress.

16   If a man writes a poem and praises the poem of a fellow overly,
     he shall drive his mistress away.

17   If a man claims the poem of another,
     his heart shall double in size.

18   If a man lets his poems go naked,
     he shall fear death.

19   If a man fears death,
     he shall be saved by his poems.

20   If a man does not fear death,
     he may or may not be saved by his poems.

21   If a man finishes a poem,
     he shall bathe in the blank wake of his passion



     and be kissed by white paper.



Halvard Johnson wrote:
> And let's not forget Harry Mathews:
>
>                  "When the omelet's away,
>                            The eggs will play"
>                                        --French proverb
>
> You can't make an omelet with good intentions:
> Too many cooks are better than no bread.
> One man's meat, as good as a mile,
> Once burned, spoils the broth.
> Too many cooks are worth two in the bush--
> You can't make an omelet on the other side of the fence.
> Half a loaf is better than two in the bush--
> Half a loaf in a storm!
> It's an ill wind that spoils the broth. 
>
> You can't make an omelet--but few are chosen:
> A fool and his money are better than no bread.
> One man's meat gets the worm--
> Look before you spoil the broth!
> Too many cooks take the hindmost.
> (One man's meat is greener on the other side of the fence. . . .
> Half a loaf is better than no silver lining.
> Half a loaf is better without breaking eggs:
> Man proposes, and spoils the broth.
>
> You can't make an omelet, and God disposes.
> One man's meat is better than no bread.
> One man's meat is worth two in the bush.
> (Sticks and stones spoil the broth.)
> Too many cooks, twice shy.
> Half a loaf is better than the other side of the fence.
> Half a loaf is as good as a mile.
> Half a loaf has its day.
> Many are called, but spoil the broth.
>
> --Harry Mathews
>
> fr. /Selected Declarations of Dependence/
>
> [Calais, Vermont: Z Press, 1977; repr.
> Los Angeles: Sun & Moon Press, 1996]
>
>
> Hal
>
>
> "Everything should be made as simple as possible,
>  but not simpler."
> --Albert Einstein
>
> Halvard Johnson
> ================
> halvard at earthlink.net <mailto:halvard at earthlink.net>
> http://home.earthlink.net/~halvard/index.html 
> <http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ehalvard/index.html>
> http://entropyandme.blogspot.com 
> http://imageswithoutwords.blogspot.com
> http://www.hamiltonstone.org
> http://home.earthlink.net/~halvard/vidalocabooks.html 
> <http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ehalvard/vidalocabooks.html>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> New-Poetry mailing list
> New-Poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu
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>   

-- 
Tad Richards
http://www.opus40.org/tadrichards/
http://opusforty.blogspot.com/

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