advice

"advice to myself"
by louise erdrich
from original fire: selected and new poems

music by BIndeed
"just say no"
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=hiTmz9MfpRc

image of cool dude in cool hat ganked from AdvicetoMyClones's "Party at My House/Badada" which you need to go watch right now, even if you've seen it before. and then you need to watch it again.

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=lm9dbbJPNgE



--

leave the dishes
let the celery rot in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator
and an earthen scum harden on the kitchen floor
leave the black crumbs in the bottom of the toaster
throw the cracked bowl out and don't patch the cup
don't patch anything. don't mend. buy safety pins
don't even sew on a button
let the wind have its way, then the earth
that invades as dust and then the dead
foaming up in gray rolls underneath the couch
talk to them. tell them they are welcome
don't keep all the pieces of the puzzles
or the doll's tiny shoes in pairs, don't worry
who uses whose toothbrush or if anything
matches, at all
except one word to another. or a thought.
pursue the authentic--decide first
what is authentic
then go after it with all your heart
your heart, that place
you don't even think of cleaning out
that closet stuffed with savage mementos
don't sort the paper clips from screws from saved baby teeth
or worry if we're all eating cereal for dinner
again. don't answer the telephone, ever
or weep over anything at all that breaks
pink molds will grow within those sealed cartons
in the refrigerator. accept new forms of life
and talk to the dead
who drift in though the screened windows, who collect
patiently on the tops of food jars and books.
recycle the mail, don't read it, don't read anything
except what destroys
the insulation between yourself and your experience
or what pulls down or what strikes at or what shatters
this ruse you call necessity

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• advice
• to
• myself
• louise
• erdrich
• tidy
• up
• your
• heart

[medicinesocks]

back to revisit this loved piece of work. sending you good thoughts & hope you're weathering the winter well

[pennilesscripple]

thank you socks

this is one of my favorites as well

weathering the winter? barely!

can't wait for spring

best to you

[24thingstodo]

Louise Erdrich is my favorite author, thanks for posting!

[pennilesscripple]

yes she's wonderful--check out the henry louis gates series on ancestry on PBS--he features her in part of it

[bbbleaver]

i've watched this three times and am just speechless... awed in appreciation.

it stuns gently like a tsunami

[pennilesscripple]

thanks, man

glad it struck a chord

it's a great poem

[Schloxictonkey]

yay I don't do most of that shit already!

[badboypoet]

You are really good......I enjoyed the visins of the mind

[LizBizToo]

yesssss luv it

perfecto, PC; the music...what a great gift for the blending :)

[pennilesscripple]

thanks lamps

i wanna do more important stuff