as freedom is a breakfastfood

or truth can live with right and wrong
or molehills are from mountains made
—long enough and just so long
will being pay the rent of seem
and genius please the talentgang
and water most encourage flame

as hatracks into peachtrees grow
or hopes dance best on bald men’s hair
and every finger is a toe
and any courage is a fear
—long enough and just so long
will the impure think all things pure
and hornets wail by children stung

or as the seeing are the blind
and robins never welcome spring
nor flatfolk prove their world is round
nor dingsters die at break of dong
and common’s rare and millstones float
—long enough and just so long
tomorrow will not be too late

worms are the words but joy’s the voice
down shall go which and up come who
breasts will be breasts thighs will be thighs
deeds cannot dream what dreams can do
—time is a tree (this life one leaf)
but love is the sky and i am for you
just so long and long enough

—E.E. Cummings


I am having a great “good order” day, but I am running out of runway for all the actions I wanted to take inside this day. So rather than worry about sitting (as counterproductive an activity as I can think of), I went and found this poem. My Hollinssummer instructor assigned it to us, though if I ever knew her reason I have long since forgotten. Still, Cummings’ concerns and startling language seems a perfect match for this moment in US history as well as his own. Find your own resonances; he would prefer it that way.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.