5/11/2022 blog

On Stephen King’s The Institute and a new poem

From King’s recent novel (page 393):

“I don’t see anything funny about this,” Tag said frowning.

“Neither do I,” Luke said., “but sometimes I laugh anyway.”

The novel’s dialogue brings to mind a phone conversation with an old classmate about a year-and-a-half ago when I was particularly troubled and making some angry social-media posts meant to be satirical poems. I said to the old classmate, “nothing is funny. Laughter is only a release of energy.”

“Laughing too loud at the rest of the world
With the boys in the crowd
You can hide, hide, hide
Behind petrified eyes”

–Roger Waters from the song “Paranoid Eyes.”

“Sky” by yours truly

Soft evening sky

Soon will go by.

Over foothills.

Seen from open air

Or from window sills.

We had seen so much from sills in  the future.

Now it is only past such and such.

Nothing stopped us staying together

Except our wills,

Except our wills.

Except my…

Now only foothills.