Desperate

‘I want you to walk with me. 
I will try very hard
To cause you to like me,
To live as you do,
To do for you,
To be you, inside of me.’ 

‘We two are as one.  That is what I see.
Let us go forth. 
I will be your skin and your muscle. 
You will be my heart.’ 

‘I say we were the same as children,
But did not know it. 
So I hold that we will be joined in dotage.
I will be for you in your growing old
And in your weakening. Let my bones
Be yours and lean on me.’ 

‘I will do for you what only I can do.
You will love me. Need me.
Want me.  I will be as you are,
So that you will have no choice.
You and I, always together,
Thinking with a single mind,
Walking the same step.
They will not tell us apart.’ 

‘What is that you say?
You do not want me to be like you?
To be your all?
You do not want
To live in me and I in you?’ 

‘Then, I have not choice. 
I will leave.’


Susan Patterson
04-2012

This is the story of two people, the gender doesn't matter.   It is a conversation.  The reader might think this poem is a love story.  But it is more than that.  One person is desperate to be part of the life of the second person.  He/ she yearns to be like the other, almost to be one human, unified.  He/she  sees them as being together as children and on into old age.  It is to the point that the person talking will force the relationship.   The recipient of the affection does not want that.  The first person is surprised.  Given the shock of the truth, he/she must leave. 

Again, the reader might think that it a story of adoration and devotion.   One cannot actually tell.  There is more than a hint of control with the first person.  There is demand for a bonding of the two.  There is  a bending of the truth so that it presents more like the story he/she wants to have.  There is an insistence of a desired type of relationship and it is simply too much.  skp

▶  Whether you are looking for love or hate, you will find it.   Earlene Grey

Explorer Children

We have come to this dusty plane, not to explore
Its breathtaking mountains and exquisite valleys.
We are here to seek out the truths that created eternity,
And to serve as scouts for our fellow travelers.
We are children of the God that created us.
Somewhat lost, in the form of soil and soul.
We are children of the God that created us,
Searching for the way home.


Susan Patterson
08-2006

Well, alright.  This poem might be confusing so let me see if I can make it simple.  It proposes that we humans are put here on this earth to learn the great truths of all that is known and unknown.  We are also here to help others; to teach them what we know; to serve when we can.  The poem asserts that we are all looking for the way home, be that heaven, nirvana or simply spiritual peace.  The line that refers to us as part soil and soul means that have both the earthly humanistic side and the spiritual side to us.  It is our job to peaceably blend the two together.   The poem says we are all searching for the way home to our creator.   skp

À bientôt!    skp

Invitation to Simplicity

If you please, Dear,
Leave vestments behind.
Take tea in the
Open air of summer,
Indulge yourself in the
Pleasure of the warm sun,
Warm tea and me.

Susan Patterson

May 2005

Well, this poem is just plain naughty!  Imagine, inviting someone to enjoy the pleasures of summer along with other tempting activities.  Nevertheless, I added it to poetry list of The Causerie.  And what fun to allow our thoughts to drift to that which is most likely not part of our every day routine.  What fun to be just a little racy!  Once in awhile, it is perfectly fine for us to be naughty.  Enjoy the last weeks of summer!  skp

Cheery-bye!  skp

Otherwise, Seemingly Nondescript

There’s a lamp
On a table
In the corner
Of my room.  
The lamp is burl,
The table is maple. 
On top of the table sits
Blown glass in hues of reds and
Purples and golds.  When it is lit,
The lamp offers a
Tiny sunset right there, in the
Corner of my room.

In rich tones, as all good sunsets do,
Mine assures of a beautiful tomorrow and
Promise thereafter.  So, I ask myself,
Why don’t I light my corner more often?
Why do I only wait
For the time when someone might walk by  
And accidentally take notice
Of the glow
Of promise
In the corner
Of my room?   


Susan Patterson
9-2011

This little poem is all about realizing the light we have within and letting that light shine out.  The reference to the corner of a room is a metaphor for a corner of our life.  Why don't we light up our corners more often?  Do we only light up our rooms and our houses when company is coming?  Do we only shine when someone might take notice?  All of those questions pertain to the people that we are.  The poem suggests that we need to shine for the sake of shining.  So, the question is, how do you and I shine?  Singing, painting, writing, working, or just being a good person?  The poem suggests that however you shine in your humanity, let the light out more often.  skp

Till the next time, bye for now.  skp

The Right Tool For the Job--
A Large Ball Peen Hammer

I’ve had so much weight that
My back bent,
My legs buckled and
My heart cracked, then it broke.  
I staggered.
Not from the poundage of a massive body,
But under the heaviness of a soul
Fused with steel
And over-laid with stone.  

When my chipping didn’t loosen the rock,
What did I do to break away the load?  

I got a bigger hammer.  


Susan Patterson
03-2011

This is a poem of victory.   It is about not allowing one's self to remain beaten down by the rigors of humanity.  This poem is not about me.  It is not about the woman in the picture, although she does look like she has known pain and has come through victorious.  It is a metaphor for everyone who is struggling with or has struggled with the weight of painful experiences. 

It is about steeling one's soul to protect it.  Then it is about covering up the soul with stone to hide it.  And what do we do to remove that weight of stone and steel if what we are doing doesn't get the job done?  We get different tools, i.e. different counsel, different friends, different work.  Whatever.  We get a bigger hammer till the weight off of our back and off of our soul is removed.  skp

▶Find the center of your contentment and stay there as often as you can.   Earlene Grey

Till next time!  skp

Man Discovers Fire

You are my sustaining and living fire.
I warm my hands at your smile;
My muscles are melted with your touch;
I drink in tonic heated by your laughter.

Fearsome creatures stay from me
Because of your brightness. 
Friends come near to me
Because of your glow. 

You are the heat of my passion.
The embers of my comfort.
You ignite in my loin
And simmer in my soul.   

Susan Patterson
03-2011

I think that this poem is fairly obvious, but let me run through the general idea anyway.  It is a love poem.  The speaker is using the metaphor of fire to tell his or her beloved how many ways he or she is loved.  There is no gender intended here.  The title, "Man Discovers Fire" is referring to mankind in general.  It is about a love that is so hot, that it inflames and abides at the same time.  skp

If you haven't seen the production of Kiss Me Kate presented by Clackamas Repertory Theater, then by all means go.  You would be missing out if you didn't.  The play tells the charming and humorous story of a group of actors putting on Taming of the Shrew.  It was written by Cole Porter in 1949.  All the performances are solid entertainment.  The humor is quick, but it helps if you know a little of the events of the post WWII era. 

The cast is led by Leif Norby and Merideth Kaye Clark, both of whom are stand out singers.  However, my two favorite pieces were by supporting actors.  The first favorite was performed by two of the regular members of this phenomenal theater group, Doren Elias and Michael Mitchell.  They sang Brush Up on Your Shakespeare, and it was terrifically funny.  I've been singing that song for days.  My next favorite (One can several favorites, you know.) was the song, Too Darn Hot,  performed by Alexander Nathan.  Mr. Nathan is from Georgia and is considering moving to Oregon.  For our sake, I hope he does.  He was simply fantastic in this number.  He kept asking the audience if we wanted more, and of course we did! 

So, I urge you to go see the play.  It is presented at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City.  Bring a friend with you and then go to dinner after!    www.clackamasrep.org      503-594-6047     You'll read more about Clackamas Repetory Theater in another edition of The Causerie.    skp

À bientôt!

The Surety of the Slow


It is a privilege to walk slowly,
To answer the bell with measure
And with good time.

I walked quickly for years. Ran
Up the stairs
And back down to get somewhere,
That I now care not to remember.  
Ran to meet or to beat time,
To get it all done with expediency,  
Moved with sharpness to answer
Alarms that went
Off in our collective psyche.  

Those who must walk slowly
Are blessed.
They probably don’t even know why.  
I am fairly sure that it is because
Those who are slower
Have a more fulfilling power
Than those who feel they must fly.                     


Susan Patterson
06-2011

Scruffy is a red-eared slider turtle who was left by his owners.  Here is his story as it was told to me. 

Dick and Lisa own a home here in Oregon.  They had neighbors, who let us say, were not the most tidy of home owners.   These neighbors sold their home and moved away, leaving the turtle for the new owners.   

Dick and Lisa, being good and responsible people went next door to the vacant property to see if everything was alright.  It was messy, but looked okay.  Then Dick saw this filthy algae cover aquarium half filled with water.  Ugh.  They were about to walk home, when Dick spotted a small head pop up out of the slimy muck.  It was a turtle about seven inches, treading water.  He had no place to go, no rock to rest on, no place to get dry. No one knows exactly how long he had been stuck in this situation.  He looked pitiful.  He was just trying to stay alive. 

Dick and Lisa immediately called the Humane Society.  They came out and saw the condition and called the former owners of the property.  The not-so-tidy people had left him for the new home owners.  But the new people were not due to take the property for some time yet.  So, Lisa said, 'I'm going to go get him.'  And she did.  She named him Scruffy.  Dick took Scruffy and washed off all of the green slime from his shell.  Lisa found something for him to eat, I'm not sure what.  But it wasn't too long before Dick was buying, yes, buying crickets at the local Pet Smart for Scruffy to eat.  (You can get about a dozen crickets for a dollar there.)  Scruffy also had a liking for gold fish, apparently. 

Scruffy now gets to go outside, safely in a pen, and walk in the grass.  He gets fresh water and good food, including fresh vegetables.  Macy, Dick and Lisa's dog, often goes out and lays next to Scruffy, just to keep him company.  There is a note on the door of the old house for the new owners telling them where their turtle is temporarily being care for.  Scruffy cannot be released in the area because he is an invasive turtle and would be a threat to the ecosystem here.  But he will have a good home with the new owners.  Dick and Lisa will make sure of it I would bet. 

Now the lesson here is, even though you might be slow, and it seems that all you are doing is treading water,  there is a Dick and Lisa out there somewhere who will wash the slime off of your back and buy you crickets to eat.   skp

Cheery-bye!  skp

The Personal Liturgy of a Quiet Woman

I fluff and feather
And put and putter.
To make my place as
Perfect as it can be.

It is refreshment,
Renewal,
Re-creation
In the same old space for
Stewardship that satisfies,
Then inspires me.

The final step of this hearthful ritual
Is tea with good and thoughtful friends.
My recusant but devoted soul
Is sweetly touched by
This uncommon,
But consecrated liturgy
Of placement, peers and tea.


Susan Patterson
11-2007

I was hesitant to put this poem in The Causerie.  It seemed too sweet, too twee.  In addition, I've been advised that there may be too much from the feminine perspective in The Causerie.  But upon a closer look, The Personal Liturgy of a Quiet Woman might be a sign of the times.  One has to look at certain words and phrases. 

This woman is used to going to church, but she is a recusant.  A recusant is someone who does not attend church, a non-conformist and in most religions, that would be considered a sin.  This woman uses her home as a place of stewardship and inspiration, not unlike how people use a church.  Then there is the liturgy.  A liturgy is a worship, ritual, or custom.  It is a religious way of doing things.  She believes her liturgy is consecrated.  For her, the household putterings are another way of going to church.  Like Emily Dickinson said, "Some keep the Sabbath going to church-- I keep it, staying at home."  Taken from poem number 236 by Emily Dickinson. 

I think that many in this society and culture are choosing to stay home, to keep close, to be recusant but in their own spiritual way.  We are tired of the wars, weary of politics, and over whelmed with information.  Personal liturgies may be signs of the times.  skp

Following is a copy of an email article that I received from my friend Cheryl.  I don't know where it was originally printed, but  I am passing it on to you.  "In an evening class at Stanford University there was a lecture on the mind-body connection - the relationship between stress and disease.  The speaker (head of psychiatry at Stanford) said, among other things, that one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman, whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends.

At first everyone laughed, but he was serious. Women connect with each other differently and provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult life experiences. Physically this quality "girlfriend time" helps us to create more serotonin - a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well-being.

Women share feelings whereas men often form relationships around activities.
We share from our souls with our sisters/mothers, and evidently that is very GOOD for our health. He said that spending time with a friend is just as important to our general health as jogging or working out at a gym.

There's a tendency to think that when we are "exercising" we are doing something good for our bodies, but when we are hanging out with friends, we are wasting our time and should be more productively engaged.  Not true. In fact, he said that failure to create and maintain quality personal relationships with other humans is as dangerous to our physical health as smoking!

So every time you hang out with a gal pal, just pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for doing something good for your health!  We are indeed very, very lucky. So let's toast to our friendship with our girlfriends. Evidently it's very good for out health!"

Until next time, be well!  skp

The Delightful Discovery of More

Upon returning from the fields
And after the break fast meal,
My helpmeet in surprise exclaimed,
“Oh, there’s tea left in my cup!”

What fun, what joy, what discovery
To find some tea still in the cup!  
Either added by an attentive spouse
Or because it wasn’t all drunk up.  

A glorious luxury indeed, to have
More than you recall and to notice
A tiny but sufficient thing,  
As any tea at all.


Susan Patterson
05-2010

Ah, the joys of discovery!  This little poem uses a cup of tea as a metaphor for appreciating what we have in life.  What we have may be a result of our own efforts, or it may be provided by someone else.  It doesn't matter.  It is a luxury to have more than we need.  It is sufficient even to have what we need at all.   "A Delightful Discovery of More"  is one of my favourite tea poems.  skp

Green Eggs and Ham

Do you remember this great poem by Dr. Seuss? 
Did you read it as a child?  Or did you read it to your children and are you reading it to your grandchildren?   Either way, it makes a person smile.

How many times are we sure that our mind is made up.  We know what we like and what we don't like and then, someone presses and presses and pushes just a little more.  Then we realize, with amazement, that we do like green eggs and ham after all. 

Happy surprises in everyday life are wonderful, aren't they?  skp

À Bientôt!   skp