I Didn’t Say

“I didn't say, ‘Do business’, Stu, ‘Photography’, I said,
And thus to make a way for you, thus future life I laid
An opened door which you could take whatever time you chose,
Which other people could look up – regardless, could not close.

“You're looking at a culture now which foreign seems to you,
Its downside is destructive, making other people blue;
It's not your job to change that culture, make it look like self;
But rather, flavour, light and leaven put there on the shelf.

“Not shelf of store, but continent, the place where fishies swim,
Where they can get nutritious food, when hungry take it in;
It's not like teachers putting food out there from A to Zee,
But rather, 'target market’ is much closer, don't you see?

“So feed the pond and not the fish, like Cree-side of your life;
The insights into what they need are seen in sons, and wife,
And all those other folks who past your window by each day –
Make sure they get the food they need, the photographic way.

 “You're going to need some help, my friend, if you're this work to do;
So gather ’round the folks you need, lest you be found the fool;
’Cause part I gave you, not the whole, outside of body you,
Will crash and burn just like the rest, so live the Golden Rule”.

I dig back out my Wish-List which I made – response to word
Enlivened back that day I floundered – really quite absurd –
And ask myself – ‘so what of this, You want me to review?’
Ah! Yes – this is the part for me – the photos next to do.

“Not driven, but invited, Stu, stop putting it that way;
But rather open up your heart, explore one each day,
And ask yourself what does it mean to others in their way;
Then stay the heck outside their lives – invite them out to play.

You're talking ’bout your journey, Stu, not theirs – that's up to each;
Invite them to explore theirs – those sitting on the beach;
And if through all that they can hear a word or two from Me
Then rest assured I'll satisfy their hunger as for thee.”

So, what of poetry this Omer, Lord, I ask of you
Do pictures just, or mix them in, to satisfaction do?
“Hey, trust me, Stu, there's lots and lots ’twill open up each day,
And through these actions you will find that I will pave a way.”

Hmmm, there's one hundred plus of items in the binder now,
And as I look them over I'm amazed and see just how
Each item on the list is full of ways, and means – and scope
And scale is far excessive of what I can even hope.

Then I reflect that competition’s absent in my sphere,
Though lonely that can make a person floundering round out here;
But flip it ’round, it takes me to one hundred parts of life,
And opens up a host of options for reducing strife.

So as I set the target-marks for ‘Omer-four’ today,
I see that picture-poems at my hand now lay away;
I've done so many as I walked my journey here each day,
There's overlaps already saying what I need to say.

Some others still need fuller treatment even at the head –
More sets of pictures, projects, research, interviews instead
Of simply wrapping off a shot to illustrate a theme –
Already things are opening up (just listening's what I mean).

Lord bless this fifty days of work which I am taking on,
And open what I need to hear as I now move along;
At end of Omer-four may I more closely see next step,
So as I live this Omer live my life and others let.

You didn't say, “Do business, Stu” – “Photography” you said,
And here I am, clear bill of health, when thought that I'd be dead.
But now I shift – ‘prevention of recurrence’ now the game,
Lest merry-go-around again with outcome much the same.

navigation