Mama's Pegasus

[grace]

I was conceived in the heat of the night
born without sin, a mammal of light
sputtering, spuming, raring at top speed
stampeding clusters of stars in my wake
heart of the goddess no mortal dare break
I kick ass, I got class

My mother is that patient pure stretch of sky
and I AM Mama's Pegasus
I am no damned horse of the Apocalypse,
no old grey mare
who ain't
what she was used to be.
I am not whipped into submission.
I am my own property, Me!
I am swift in the heavens,
no midnite rider to weigh me down.
I carry only gentle snow.
My back is strong but my load spare,
stride smooth as silver,
I've been broken long ago
AND NEVER AGAIN!
(wild oats sown & gathered,
weathered, threshed & cured),
dead aim fire into God,
I'm branded the Goddesses' glorious golden stallion.
I AM Mama's Pegasus
got wings, can fly.

Look Ma, no stops, no gaps,
no strains, no lover's traps
no strings, no threads,
no churning cement mixer beds,
no hanger-ons, I ain't no sky-hooker,
no dynamite blastin' up my sacred mountain!
no rocks, no gravel, no chains
no pain, no death
I was born without sin,
shot straight outa mah Father's Love Gun,
no blank, no fluke
I AM NO MISTAKE OF NATURE OR OF MAN
I am Mama's Pegasus
got great wings
can really fly!

[lizzytysh]

Now that is one bold poem, Grace !
In no uncertain terms, you claimed your space.

Unable to sleep as it was, so came here ~ now, probably hopeless ! Wide awake .


~ Lizzy

[grace]

liz:
Mares Rule,
fools that all men are:
glad you like my centerpiece
catch a gently rising star,
catch our gently rising star.

Love to LC
Love Ever & Always
forever, yes and dear, always.
star of darkness, star of days
nights like his don't easily slip away
slip away, nights like this don't easily
slip away . . .

[lizzytysh]

Good Morning, Grace ~

After all of three hours of sleep,
I returned here precisely to say
I'd love to see and hear
you recite your poem...
a woman proclaiming
her personal power .

I like your use of the sky
the nighttime, stars,
and the resolute earth.

As you can see,
your poem stuck with me
'til morning.


I do have one question, though...
on a perspective I've never subscribed to...
"fools that all men are"



~ Lizzy

[grace]

dear liz: I'm glad that you feel that way. I'm trespassing on sticky ground, of making a private matter public about private matters made public that I am concurrently finding out about. I actually agree. I truly do. I am and always have been a romantic, albeit a burned one and I have been one who has burned and still is prone to burn in return. Apologies may be in order, but I am newly processing some difficult personal history. All my life I've tried to be a saint. My guess is that many here on this board long for sainthood too. Perhaps this is presumptuous of me to speak for any other than myself, but it's an educated guess at the least. Else, why but for recently, would y'all love so deeply Mr. Leonard Cohen?

I chose this particular poem with which to introduce myself because, besides it being my signature piece as a performance poet nationally (US), it represents years of rigid self-defense. I refused to perform it or sing or write any songs at all for many long years. That's changed just recently.

I'm writing now, singing and writing new songs. Thank G-d. Thanks Be. I'm in the process now of counting my losses. My losses are tough. very tough. Almost too difficult to bear.

Yet I live in a space where nothing is lost and everything found. It's only for me to feel, own mem'ry, and move myself on.

Praise be the biblical lord
from your local cyber
funky saint in-the-making,
and close disciple of
leonard's love,

[lizzytysh]

Thanks for your very clarifying response, Grace. Though history and details surely vary ~ even widely ~ ironic are the parallels of our present. That is not to say, however, that I'm a performer, poet, writer, or singer ... or, maybe that should be , but, eh .

Ironic, too, that I should want to see you perform your piece, eh ? Maybe, one day, I actually will see you do it . Your signature one .

Thanks, again, Grace. It seems you are progressing very well. Congratulations on reclaiming your self-expression. How good I know that must feel .


~ Lizzy

[mat james]

Grace,

Mama Pegasus

seems to be a trans-gender image to me.
You could be talking in a Jungian sense
or maybe actuality.

Either way
I enjoyed the energy of your poem.

Thanks for the originality. Mat

[JiminyC]

I think if grace was said before meals at the table with that sort of vigor it would never of gone out of fashion, mind you one may of had to retrieve the food from every other room after the service was performed.
Mares rule ok.
James (In complete fear.)

[lizzytysh]

I have a feeling Grace is going to appreciate your response as much as I did, Jiminy .


~ Lizzy

[grace]

Really, Mr. Cricket: Whistle me a happy tune.

[grace]

an early incidental history of the poem: stole the basic premise from Patti Smith:"Jesus died for somebody else's sins, not mine" & "have you seen dylans' dog? its got wings, it can fly" (which she stole [of course] from bob dylan); 'cause bruce springsteen wrote a song for me, gave it instead of to me to her to record cause I'd written a little song about him a few years earlier he didn't want anybody else to know about.
(We were all struggling kids then living at NY's Chelsea Hotel).

[lizzytysh]

Hi Grace ~

You clearly have many interesting tales to tell... were you ever to do so. Living at the Chelsea as a struggling kid during those times brought you in contact with so much, ohhhhhh, so much. I wonder if you ever encountered our Lightning here, or her boyfriend/friends there. Of course, Leonard, too... but just having the Chelsea in your personal background means a whole lot of richness has been shared and passed through and around you in the artistic and performance realms.


~ Lizzy

[JiminyC]

Still attempting a happy tune dear Gracie, all my attempts have only whistled out dark ones, but that was in the dark (literally). Chelsea's a dive, you should be at the Savouy.
Chin Chin.

[JiminyC]

Third post to kings bed Grace, it is happy. Though don't go getting any ideas.
Peace.