SOME VERSE

SOME VERSES

Robert Taylor

For some decades, I have written a variety of poems, some topical, most occasional, others simply introspective (not to forget that rather disreputable category, "miscellaneous"). There was in fact a time when I considered focusing exclusively on "the literary life"; but music won out in the end. No contest, really. Some day, perhaps, I will write the story of that struggle. I think it might be, at least, entertaining. I have also written a number of essays, memoirs, etc., but for various personal reasons have not decided to publish them (yet).

Having grown weary of the tiresome rules and endless delays of publishers (and at all events, I have come close to publication only on a few occasions) I have decided at long last to offer here a selection of my poems, culled for the most part from the last decade or two. Of course, this kills any possibility (known to me) of presentation of this work by publishing houses, which are very jealous of anything having to do with "property rights"—whatever that may be supposed to mean. (Composer Charles Ives, as I recall, made his work available to everyone completely gratis, thus setting an example for us all. Don't misunderstand me: it's not that I believe artists should not be compensated for the blood they sweat at their labors; still, in my opinion, Ives' example is admirable—though in order to prosecute it, I may be forgiven for pointing out that he was obliged to become an insurance executive ...)

And so dear reader, herewith, a few poor reflections on the human condition. Most were written without any thought of publication at all. Some are complete, in final edit; others may yet submit to change of one kind or another. But here they are, such as they are. Perhaps someone may find in them a distant echo of some thought or feeling that we all share in this dance which we choose to call "life". †

Catulli Carmina Sappho Winter's End, Manhattan Sundance Occam's Edge

Poem Intermezzo Chores Poesy in Summer

† For the sake of simplicity, I have just provided separate links to these poems. They were created in MS Word97Ž, because that is the release with which I am still most comfortable. (They are perhaps best read, maximized, in Page Layout View in Word--or whatever centers them best for you--in sequence from left to right.) The time to export this verse to HTML, with its differences in formatting, is simply not available to me. Apologies for that, but I have only one lifetime, and as we all know, tempus fugit irreparabile.

n.b. Feel free to download these poems if you like. You have my permission, as well, to distribute them freely (to friends, (enemies?), sorcerers--in sum, to anyone you choose) as long as they are not altered in any way, including formatting and the name of the author (mine).