life

Cat stops to think about Joe Brainard's poem, Life.

Cat and Cone, 1976. Joe Brainard. Image from The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Hello. This Cat.

Cat want discuss life. Cat have many thinkings about life because Cat having read book about life of human, name of Joe.

Joe was artist. Joe was writer. Joe was poet. Joe was friend.

Cat share more learnings: Joe love lay on grass in sunshine. Joe love make big mess, cutting papers for glue to other papers. Joe love send letters. Joe love smoke cigarette. Joe love eating chicken pot pie. Joe love friends.

If Cat could trade place with human, Cat might pick Joe❗

Writer of Joe, name of Ron Padgett, say about Joe: “His watchword was to be open.” 🧐

Cat read another book, name of I Remember. This book written by Joe. This book is one long poem, all rememberings. Cat learn this book is called ‘memoir’.

Cat have very many thinkings about rememberings after reading. Even though Cat finish read book, Cat still contemplate memory. Maybe tell readers thinkings later.

Now Cat share short poem by Joe, name of Life.

Life, by Joe Brainard. Image from Adventures in Poetry, via JSTOR Daily

In first line of poem, Joe think about life and look for answer. Then Joe write:

“I think it is safe to say that life is pretty mysterious. And hard.”

Cat think life is pretty mysterious too. If Cat stop to think about it, Cat think life is pretty strange. And miraculous. Cat think life is like story, dream, big adventure.

But…Cat not sure if life is hard, Cat think life is soft. Soft like human skin, or coat of Cat. Soft like butterfly wing. Life so soft, easy to receive bruise, easy to get hurt. Maybe this what Joe mean when Joe say life is hard 🤔

Next Joe write that “Life is short.” Then Joe give advices, say important to have remembering that life is short. Cat find this curious because Cat not think that life is short or long. For Cat, life is like time, it just is.

Cat think Joe understand Cat’s impulse to live in ~the moment~ because when Joe say life is short, Joe also say, “Just because it is.”

Cat feel energy change in poem when Joe write, “Now to get down to the basics.” Can humans feel this too? Energy change because now Cat lean in to read what Joe write next. Cat want know more about mystery of life! Cat want get down to basics.

Joe get down to basics by write about time. How human can spend time, how human can fill time. Joe tell ideas for time fillers. He say that “Other people are most important.” He say “Art is rewarding.” He say books and movies are the most reliable. He say to fill time as best as one can, “With love and fun.”

Cat wonder why Joe not mention foods? Cat suggest fill time with abundance, fill bowl with plenty. ‧˚⊹˚🍣🍤🧀🫒🥩🥓🦞🪴🍕🍖🍤🦐🍗🦀༘˚.✧₊˚

Untitled (Owl Cat), 1971. Joe Brainard. Image from Tibor de Nagy Gallery.

This how Cat fill time: Cat wait for food bowl to be filled. Cat wait for human come home for play, snuggle, sleep. Think about crunchy treats. Spend time napping. Spend time exploring inner landscape. Fill time with dreaming, playing, observing, thinking.

“Or what have you.”

This what Joe call activities of life. The basics, or what have you.

Finally, Joe say that life is hard. Say poem make life sound easy and human job is work on hard parts and then—

“…just relax and be ourselves.”

Cat breathe deeply when read these words. Cat breathe and let relaxation flow.

Cat feel like self when Cat is in participation with world, when Cat is tuning into world-soul rhythm. Cat feel like self when Cat is relaxing and structure of cat-self softens into surroundings. Cat feel like self when Cat is dreaming of running through big green grasses, when Cat is zooming, when Cat is playing.

When Cat is sitting in sunshine with eyes close, smiling.

Cat has shared Cat’s understandings of poem about life. Cat find poems very interesting. Words in poems seem full of secret knowings. Make Cat think poems may be having magics. Cat wonder if Joe knows this when write this poetry call Life. Cat think life is like poetry, softly vibrating with secret knowings.

When Ron Padgett tell rememberings about Joe, he say, “His watchword was to be open.” Cat not know what mean by ‘watchword’. Cat tap this word into metal box and learn watchword is a guiding principle.

Cat think for very many days before choosing Cat’s watchword. Can reader’s guess Cat’s watchword? Maybe better for Cat keep watchword secret. (It’s not crunchies, but good guess ≽👁️ܫ👁️≼)

Cat has shared many thinkings in this newsletter. Cat hopes readers have become enjoyers. Please fill comments with abundance. Please fill comments with thinkings, dreamings, learnings about life. Or crunchies. Or what have you.

Thank you for playing, Cat 🐾

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