Animal Presence

With a bow to Little Whip

Published on June 29, 2006 By Ms Mitchell In Fiction Writing

Way back in January my writing group did an exercise. We were to do a free write off of Diane Levertov's Come into Animal Presence. After reading little-whip's article on zoos and the subsequent discussion, I decided to post this. Thanks to little-whip for starting a really good discussion and to Diane Levertov for the prompt.

Do you feel that zoos are sacred?
Or crimes against the sacred?
Everyday we ignore wildlife
Because it is our own and
We pay to see someone else's that
They sold for a mess of potage.

Why is the mandrill better than the muskrat?
Because he is from Africa and not
The marsh off County Trunk A?

What is this reverse racism?
We embrace the animals from far off lands
As exotic

But the people we shun as being
shiftless
(Nevermind that they work double shifts)
Dirty
(Nevermind that we seek out their help to clean our terazzo)
Ignorant
(Nevermind that your gardener might be a vascular surgeon with a language barrier)

Here's a thought
Let's leave the Golden Tamarind
in his home where he's happy
and make room in our habitat for the people.

Human beings
Brothers and sisters

Perhaps we need the comfort of the cage
Adorable behaviors that could not
Be countenanced in your livingroom.

Distance
Superiority
Bars
Plexiglas boxes with our babies on display.

Comments

Buddah Moskowitz

on Jun 29, 2006

This earned an "insightful" vote (like I know what that earns you!). This is inspired. This is the most articulate and imaginative defense of immigration I've read in a long time. I want to encourage more writings of a political nature. Your touch is deft and your focus precise. This does not belong under Fiction writing. I'd put it in poetry, art and/or politics.

Thanks for sharing - I gotta find me a writing group. -- Moskowitz

Ms Mitchell

on Jun 29, 2006

This does not belong under Fiction writing. I'd put it in poetry, art and/or politics.

Stupid scroll button. I thought I clicked poetry.

I gotta find me a writing group.

Either find one or start one. I now have to find a new one. Or start one.

It sounds redundant, but thank you for the encouragement. Sometimes I feel that the people who have read my work had to like it. Just like your mother has to tell you you're pretty. I'm glad you find it worthwhile.

Buddah Moskowitz

on Jun 29, 2006

It sounds redundant, but thank you for the encouragement. Sometimes I feel that the people who have read my work had to like it. Just like your mother has to tell you you're pretty. I'm glad you find it worthwhile.

Well, thank you for sharing your gift with this website. I know how it feels to have friends and loved ones read my work. Having actually sold three copies of my book to people I've never met before was tremendous validation. So, as a reader with no vested interest in what you think of me, I am so glad to tell you, a) your writing is worthwhile,

I really like your writing (if you wrote a book, I'd buy it) and c) thank you for writing and the mutual encouragement.

Starting a writing group might be a good thing, although I need another project, like I need another hole in my head.

Best wishes, Buddah Moskowitz

Ms Mitchell

on Jun 29, 2006

Having actually sold three copies of my book to people I've never met before was tremendous validation.

Did you self publish? I recently realized that I need to look seriously at publication of some sort. I was in either Barnes and Noble or Borders, you know, one of my places of worship. I was scouring the place for a book I wanted. I couldn't find it and I couldn't remember the title. Then a voice in my head said, "It's not here because you haven't written it yet." Well that was just weird enough to get me thinking seriously about submitting my work. I just don't know where to start.

Buddah Moskowitz

on Jun 30, 2006

Yes, I did self-publish. Actually, I used a Publish On Demand website called www.lulu.com Link. (Self-publish sounds like the old vanity press outfits where they'd print anything and you were stuck with an inventory of your book.)

All you do is format your book (I did mine in Word), they help with covers, and they will print your book when someone purchases it. In all, it was pretty easy. Go to their website. (Also, Cafepress.com has a POD service, but I didn't like some of their options.) Lulu.com takes their cut off the top of every purchase- I think they get the first $7.40 of every $12 book I sell. In all, I've made a whopping $11.01, but the validation was worth a million bucks.

Link

This is the link I always include on my posts in the hopes that someone will buy a book. Fellow JU writer Johnny Masuda Link [a dear pal from grad school] has also used lulu.com and he's sold over a hundred copies of his book, and he's being featured in an upcoming documentary about up and coming poets in America.

Either way, investigate these sites, and give it some serious thought. Besides, when I hold the one copy I own (actually I bought it for Mrs. Moskowitz), it quietly impresses me.

"... this looks like a real writer wrote this..."

best wishes, Moskowitz

"It's not here because you haven't written it yet."

ps - I tend to attribute moments like that to the voice of the Divine. Don't ignore it!

Buddah Moskowitz

on Jun 30, 2006

Yes, I did self-publish. Actually, I used a Publish On Demand website called www.lulu.com Link. (Self-publish sounds like the old vanity press outfits where they'd print anything and you were stuck with an inventory of your book.)

All you do is format your book (I did mine in Word), they help with covers, and they will print your book when someone purchases it. In all, it was pretty easy. Go to their website. (Also, Cafepress.com has a POD service, but I didn't like some of their options.) Lulu.com takes their cut off the top of every purchase- I think they get the first $7.40 of every $12 book I sell. In all, I've made a whopping $11.01, but the validation was worth a million bucks. Link
This is the link I always include on my posts in the hopes that someone will buy a book.

Fellow JU writer Johnny Masuda Link [a dear pal from grad school] has also used lulu.com Link and he's sold over a hundred copies of his book, and he's being featured in an upcoming documentary about up and coming poets in America.

Either way, investigate these sites, and give it some serious thought. Besides, when I hold the one copy I own (actually I bought it for Mrs. Moskowitz), it quietly impresses me.

"... this looks like a real writer wrote this..."

best wishes, Moskowitz

"It's not here because you haven't written it yet."

ps - I tend to attribute moments like that to the voice of the Divine. Don't ignore it!

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