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Saturday 2 May 2009

Persistence of Memory



File:Ocelot 01.jpg




I think he's saying it's quite easily caught.
I'm not hearing as well as once I was.
Did he say the yen is advancing against
The flower? What flower? A yen for what
Was that again? Starting to forget things
Changes one's mind. The not remembering
Is not so bad, it's the resurgences of not
Forgetting that ruin everything. Yesterday's
Papers landing at the door with a soft
Lamenting thud, though one had not subscribed,
The shouting silence of the midnight hour,
The soft footfalls of the ocelot through the house.





Ocelot
: photo by Danleo, 2006.

9 comments:

Annie said...

I feel like this an ocelot of the time.


This morning I heard Dennis Hopper tell a smarmy interviewer (who'd asked if viewing "Easy Rider" was good for kids) about the time Turner Classic Movie execs called up to see if he wanted to come watch them cut the movie for TV broadcast. They were cutting the nudity, the sex, the drugs, and him giving the finger at the end. "Hmm. What's the movie about?" he asked.

TC/BTP said...

Annie,

That's an ocelot of Memory Loss, all right.

Annie said...

But seriously, folks...pardon my Pagliacci reflex, Tom.
Again you stalk the dark hallways with awesome grace and instinct honed in the hunt.

Zephirine said...

That is a most beautiful ocelot.

TC/BTP said...

An Ocelot Passes

TC/BTP said...

This additional

stunning ocelot
comes to you courtesy of Zephirine.

Anonymous said...

Lovely poem with a very unexpected last verse.

I recently found out Salvador Dalí used to have an ocelot as a pet.

TC said...

Lucy,

Here is Salvador with his friend:


Dali with ocelot

Anonymous said...

'The shouting silence of the midnight hour' Yes she does, doesn't she?
I love that 'The shouting silence'
I am liking how you use words, you. How you take each one and form something striking/memorable/sticking in ones brain, when they are put together.