read a story once

[the mingo]

read a story once
a post-apocalyptic vision
one of the characters in that story
has a moment where he says:
"old man, time was ain't now"
doc tells me the other day
i need to make an adjustment
to my diet - well, he's doin' his job
no blame - it's just the way it is -
now i'm down to it - it's my turn -
i've come to the realms of adjustments
the days of wine & throwing roses in the well to invoke
the erotic possibilities in everything
have thinned right the fuck out -
the "truth" that everyone always says
they are looking for has come home
to roost & brought all the chickens with it
& everybody what was looking for it
have run off in all directions
with the hounds of hell snapping close to their heels
those folks that talk about "truth"
never say a word about & are never prepared
for the "inevitable"
& i say to myself in the cold light of a cold dawn
"old man, time was ain't now". . .

- like hell -
write that quote on my tombstone, boys
because only then will it be true
& until it is true
Warp Speed, Mr. Zulu !
Torpedoes Away!
Remember the Alamo!
Geronimo too !
You may fire when ready, Gridley!
& Fuck Yeah, Mongolia !

[theirishsea]

The voice in this is unique.

I don't know if you made this quote up or if it is an old saying---hadn't heard it before---but it is effective and the spine of the poem.


"old man, time was ain't now".

Enjoyed reading your poem.

[creativesoul]

like tbhis - adjustments- time- aging- NICE-- DRAWS A PICTURE

[the mingo]

irish, didn't make the quote up - lifted it from a book - a story that takes place in a post-apocalyptic landscape - a story of Coven & Kriss & City - of lep & Old Language & Circle - of Singer whose father is Garik, of the Shando and his mother Judith of the City - packdogs, plague, machinations of power, change, Arin and his Broken Circle, Shalane, Elin, Kon, 'Gill, Moss, Uriah & many more - the quote is something a man by the name of Bowdeen said as he was pinned down by arrows from Deepwoods bows - Bowdeen, in charge of a detachment of Merks whose job it was to patrol the Self-Gate that surrounds the City and gather the bodies of anyone foolish enough to attempt to run it - Bowdeen, close to retirement, finds himself on the wrong side of history, pinned down & in the open, looking at the bodies of many of his fallen men around him in the grass - an arrow from a Deepwoods bow passes within a hair of his chest and he hits the ground for cover - he hits it hard and lays there, pain running thru every bone in his body & realizes "old man, time was ain't now" as the arrows fly and men scream ... the book came out in the '70's and I have read it may times since then - i do not recommend it for it is a story wondrously and excellently told & crafted - i say do not read it for in it you will travel to a place called Lishin in your search for the Girdle of Solitude, a place where no one has lived for years out of mind, a place where neither love or lep can help, a place where you must find a place to hide to survive - you will not leave there the same person you were when you went in - and you will truly know when you look in the mirror that "old man, time was ain't now"

the book is called the Masters of Solitude - the authors are Marvin Kaye & Park Godwin

[the mingo]

thx, Jana,

[stilltrucking]

watched an episode of Wagon Train™
it had a happy ending the bad guy was caught and the major said it was a good day for justice when civilization arrived and the wilderness ended with the coming of the Europeans.
... "I want to create wilderness out of empire."

circles of latitudes
changes in attitudes
hell yeah Zambia




54°40′ or fight

please pardon the ramble

nothing to do with your pure poetry
not really
unless maybe it put me in mind of The Tropic of Capricorn a novel I have not read.

[the mingo]

yeah, sometimes gets me high too - thx, Jack

[stilltrucking]

truth be told I was already high
sorry I edited that bit out while you was replying

also the bit about insane humor and popsicles sticks
when I see
when I think I see
when I want to be a contributor to the Brautigan Library

thank you steve.
please pardon the multiple replies

[mtmynd]

thx, el mingo... enjoyed the read.

[the mingo]

Jack - you can ramble & multiply all ya want - i have no problem enjoying it all

[the mingo]

Thx, Cec -