Observations and Insights on the Nature of Things
This monthly column features brief essays, poems, poetic micro essays and photography by Eve West Bessier, Poet Laureate Emerita of Silver City and Grant County, New Mexico.
Look for a new post every first Friday.
“BoBo Bu Ko Robotic Assemblage” by James Bauer
Currently on exhibit at the Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Lounge Lizards Nevertheless
Ekphrastic poetry inspired by the above assemblage
To lounge is a lost art,
a habit retained only by cats
and gaudy lawn ornaments.
Why are we so obsessed
with trending that we won’t
find time to recline.
No cross-hatched strap marks
from tangerine-hued polyurethane
embelished on the tender skin
of our backsides and thighs.
Reclining,
once a national pastime,
prompting the birth
of such atrocities
as the chartreuse La-Z-Boy,
is now frowned upon
by those in the “no-no” know.
Laziness is thought of as sloth,
and as such, is not considered
a sanctioned leisure activity.
¿Por qué no?
Our Land of Enchantment
is not best known
for all-day sunbathing,
as our solar oven tends to fry
rather than gently baste,
that’s why shade tanning
is the way to go
here in the southwest.
So let’s retire our relentlessness,
kick off our fast-tracking,
strap-on roller skates
and grab a cold one.
Seize the day to contemplate
the latest eclipse,
or the core of nothingness.
Let’s be true
to our inner Dude
or Dudette
in search of contentment
and be lounge lizards
nevertheless,
without regrets.
Photo Credit: “BoBo Bu Ko Robotic Assemblage” by James Bauer, photo by Eve West Bessier
