"the jest in the jazz"

don't forget to listen for the sigh in the smile
the hope in the hello, the regret in the goodbye,
the jest in the jazz, and the laugh...
that last laugh
in the blues

and that man with the grey beard
who writes books with his smile
who doesn't need to shower to feel clean
who doesn't know where he'll sleep but he knows (or bravely thinks) that he'll be just fine
yes
that man
the man at the bus stop with the cigarette
by the coffee shop with the empty cup
next to you in line at the grocery store

(don't forget to listen to him)

no one listens to strangers anymore
and that's just not right because that means
no one listens to poets anymore
and if no one listens to poets
no one listens to anyone
not even our mothers
and aren't mothers the first poets we know?

(oh, don't forget to call your mom)

(oh, and why don't you call a friend you haven't talked to in awhile while you're at it)

because it's a shame
that no one knows anyone anymore

it's such a shame
that someone so alone and so sad is secretly so funny and so beautiful
that someone so smiley and so friendly is secretly so lonely and so afraid

it's such a damn shame
that someone so big is so small
that someone so small is so big

so
can i offer you this one advice?

buy that man with the grey beard some coffee
be with the people who won't judge you (fuck fake people!)
be with the people with the open hearts
fall madly in love with them
and never ever turn your heart
on what you know is right

don't forget to listen for the sigh in the smile
the hope in the hello, the regret in the goodbye,
the jest in the jazz, and the laugh...
that last laugh
in the blues.






ps:

vii.

"you remind me of someone i can't remember," he says.

"how can't that be? how can you remember someone that isn't there?"

"maybe you never really learn anything new. maybe you just...."

"...re-discover old truths?"

"you remind me of someone i can't remember."

"now that's just silly," she replies.

and they talk about herman hesse and jack kerouac and noam chomsky and ashton kushner and demi moore and moliere and elvis and john coltrane and memphis in junes and autumns in new york and furry little dogs and old baby turtles and all the big fat stars singing over their heads...

dope song: the eels' ps: you rock my world i love the eels... i'm going to their show at the filmore with ronnie... anyone else wanna go too!