e.e. cummings birthday, happy.

i was just made hip to the fact that today is e.e. cummings birthday! he was born in 1894. happy birthday old friend.

this poem is kind of a lot to take in, but it's my very favorite of his. enjoy!

(and yep, i still think he's hot.)

anyone lived in a pretty how town

anyone lived in a pretty how town (with up so floating many bells down) spring summer autumn winter he sang his didn't he danced his did. Women and men (both little and small) cared for anyone not at all they sowed their isn't they reaped their same sun moon stars rain children guessed (but only a few and down they forgot as up they grew autumn winter spring summer) that noone loved him more by more when by now and tree by leaf she laughed his joy she cried his grief bird by snow and stir by still anyone's any was all to her someones married their everyones laughed their cryings and did their dance (sleep wake hope and then)they said their nevers they slept their dream stars rain sun moon (and only the snow can begin to explain how children are apt to forget to remember with up so floating many bells down) one day anyone died i guess (and noone stooped to kiss his face) busy folk buried them side by side little by little and was by was all by all and deep by deep and more by more they dream their sleep noone and anyone earth by april with by spirit and if by yes. Women and men (both dong and ding) summer autumn winter spring reaped their sowing and went their came sun moon stars rain

lunch with mr. e.e. cummings

i could read e.e.cummings All day.
he's Funny and spontaneous,and has this sort of infectious sarcasm. he makes sculptures out of his words, along with odd syntax, a flare for Punctuation and the experimental use of lower and capital letters he manages to make poetry as Visually pleasing as it is to read or hear.

cummings was an american Poet who helped to bring about the modernist movement. having driven an Ambulance in the Great War (what we now know as WWI) and spending 3 1/2 weeks in a french prison, he drew Much subject matter from his frustration with war and politics. while there is a lot more serious poems to Look at, i picked one today that is just fun and shows a bit of a light-hearted side to him.

this is just ONE of many poems of his that i enjoy. i should probably save it for Springtime, but here it is anyway. note: i'm really bummed because for whatever reason the blog won't let me format this poem the way it is intended. Aaarrrgh!

[in Just-]

in Just-

spring when the world is mud-

luscious the little

lame balloonman

whistles far and wee

and eddieandbill come

running from marbles and

piracies and it's

spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer

old balloonman whistles

far and wee

and bettyandisbel come dancing

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

it's

spring

and

the

goat-footed

balloonMan whistles

far

and

wee

even though i don't smoke i'd love to bum a cig off mr. cummings and join him for brunch and maybe ask him something like, what brand of fabric softener he's using.
ok i might be alone in this, and maybe its his poetry, but i think he's kinda hot.