Monday, February 21, 2011

Seizing the Day on 7th Street

—after a photograph by Kevin McCollister


On the wall of what
Looks like a prison,
There is a timely message
Titled One at a Time

A spiel from something called
The Christ Centered Three-step
Life Recovery Program,
Beckoning passers-by

To seize this once-
In-a-lifetime opportunity
For redemption—
All are welcome, it says invitingly

At the end, a scant three steps from
Even those condemned to stay
A lifetime away.





4 comments:

  1. poignant
    when read while viewing the photos.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wrote a poem based on a photograph today...

    Garden About To Explode


    In that photo of Jackson Pollack
    he stands over a strange garden,
    stalks of paintbrushes sticking
    up from many cans & jars of paint,
    flowerheads face down in pigments,
    saturated in volatile solvents.
    When he pulls them up with his hands,
    and each in turn is allowed
    to bloom violently,
    no space, no surface will be safe.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you, Vassilis, for your poem about my photograph.

    Many years ago I was a big William Carlos Williams fan and there's a lot of what I like about him in "Seizing The Day On 7th Street."

    ReplyDelete
  4. Noxy,

    I appreciate your telling me so--the word of an accomplished photographer/poet such as yourself is always welcome--thank you.

    James,

    I've been a fan of your blog for quite some time--mostly pithy one-liners full of atomic energy--so this powerful little poem comes as no surprise!

    Kevin,

    My pleasure is double, knowing that you see a lot of the good doctor in this poem. Thanks for commenting and for the great photos you keep shooting.

    ReplyDelete

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