SHORT POEMS #3

Thursday, January 21, 2010


SHORT POEMS #3

By Philip Cairns

Copyright 2010 by Philip Cairns

1
The penis is a wondrous instrument.
Imagine if your arm grew 4 times its size
Every time you got excited!
Think of the effect on professional sports!

2
Mauve is such a beautiful colour.
Soothing, quiet and calm.
We painted the doors in my housing co-op a variation of this shade
And everyone was up in arms.

3
Go down to the lake and put your arms around a tree.
Talk to it.
Listen to its vibrations.
Imagine you’re suddenly living in an Emily Carr painting.

4
Drink in the essence of a smiling baby.
You’ll feel all fluttery inside.
Kiss it on the cheek.
It’s as sweet as maple syrup.

5
It’s very quiet in this room.
Just the way I like it.
All I can hear is the occasional streetcar
And the sound of the air being pushed into the hallways.

6
Light blue, yellow, pale green,
Deep purple and soft pink.
Pastel shades peering out of an artist’s masterwork.
The colours of Monet.

7
Wish I were standing with my feet in the sand
Beside the sea at Big Sur,
With a paintbrush in my hand
And rich colours slopping onto a big canvas.

8
I’m remembering the sights and sounds of Cannes
During the film festival.
It’s a carnival of buskers and sunbathers,
With hordes of people crowding around the red carpet.

9
The sixties were full of violence and hope.
An ugly war and dissenting youth.
Long hair and psychedelic clothes.
Jane Fonda was at the top of the heap.

10
There’s a movie playing in my head.
Images and conversations from the past.
Sometimes I have to change the channel.
Other times, it’s like watching a favourite film, again.

11
Do you want to hear my truth?
The scene is too safe and polite.
We need some “Body Art” to stir things up.
A latter-day Allen Ginsberg to shake the rafters.

12
Whip out your cheque book.
Write me a cheque,
With lots of zeroes on it.
Please don’t let it bounce.