August 17: Old M&M, Maya Angelou, "The Lesson"

I ate an old M&M I found in a jar.  It was green and sweet, and I was hungry.

If that sounds like a William Carlos Williams poem, I'm sorry.  I just wanted to share a small pleasure I experienced today.  For the most part, life is like that--tiny moments of happiness.  I don't think many people have huge moments of happiness every day.  Maybe Oprah.  And Kim Kardashian, who's too stupid to know any better.

Aside from them, we all go from M&M moment to M&M moment, with a few peanut M&M moments thrown in there for good measure.  Small, little pleasures.  Unexpected hugs from my teenage daughter.  A piece of cold pizza.  An e-mail from a friend.  These are the things that make life livable.

Saint Marty thinks Maya Angelou enjoyed green M&Ms, too.

The Lesson

by:  Maya Angelou

I keep on dying again.
Veins collapse, opening like the
Small fists of sleeping
Children.
Memory of old tombs,
Rotting flesh and worms do
Not convince me against
The challenge. The years
And cold defeat live deep in
Lines along my face.
They dull my eyes, yet
I keep on dying,
Because I love to live.

November 14: A Good Life, Maya Angelou, "The Lesson"

You know, for all the complaining I do on this blog, I have a pretty good life.  My kids are both healthy.  I make almost enough money to pay my bills.  My wife's job is going well.  I'm going to teach a graduate poetry seminar next semester at the university.  I went to see a play with my daughter tonight.  Tomorrow morning, I'm going to McDonald's for breakfast with my family.

Yes, crappy things happen.  My brother's 17-year-old dog fractured her pelvis tonight.  The vet said if she doesn't get up and move tomorrow morning, it's over for her.  Crappy.  We got over three feet of snow this week.  Crappy.  There's another snow storm on the way.  Crappy.

There's no way to avoid the crap in life.  However, the crap reminds us that we're alive.  That life really is good, despite the struggle and pain.

That's the lesson Saint Marty has for you tonight.

The Lesson

by:  Maya Angelou

I keep on dying again.
Veins collapse, opening like the
Small fists of sleeping
Children.
Memory of old tombs,
Rotting flesh and worms do
Not convince me against
The challenge. The years
And cold defeat live deep in
Lines along my face.
They dull my eyes, yet
I keep on dying,
Because I love to live.

Everybody paying attention now?