17 February 2005

If you like Jason Mraz, try Gertrude Stein

Another find from The Writer's Almanac.

Read it out loud. People will look at you funny if you do it work, but so what. Just let the words roll around in your mouth and fall off your tongue. (Note: carriage returns are mine, not Ms. Stein's, nor Mr. Keillor's).

from Tender Buttons by Gertrude Stein

A light in the moon the only light is on Sunday.
What was the sensible decision. The sensible decision
was that notwithstanding many declarations and more
music, not even notwithstanding the choice and a torch
and a collection, notwithstanding the celebrating hat and
a vacation and even more noise than cutting,
notwithstanding Europe and Asia and being overbearing,
not even notwithstanding an elephant and a strict occasion,
not evenwithstanding more cultivation and some seasoning,
not even with drowning and with the ocean being encircling,
not even with more likeness and any cloud, not even with
terrific sacrifice of pedestrianism and a special resolution,
not even more likely to be pleasing. The care with which the
rain is wrong and the green is wrong and the white is wrong,
the care with which there is a chair and plenty of breathing.
The care with which there is incredible justice and likeness,
all this makes a magnificent asparagus, and also a fountain.

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