by Richard Subber | Feb 25, 2025 | Democracy, Human Nature, Politics, Power and inequality, Tidbits
elusory wisdom…
“Let the people keep a watchful eye
over the conduct of their rulers,
for we are told that great men
are not at all times wise.”
Samuel Adams (1722-1803)
Phony felons aren’t wise, either.
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Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2025 All rights reserved.
Book review: Six Plays by Henrik Ibsen
…his bleak insight into human nature
–
many waters: more poems with 53 free verse poems,
and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”
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by Richard Subber | Feb 23, 2025 | Books, My poetry, Poetry, Reflections, Tidbits
our little space…
touch
…some easy talk is all we need,
brief moments are the time,
quick smiles come and go,
and linger
and last,
familiar words we share,
we cross our paths,
we laugh in our little space,
our fingers touch,
and touch,
we’re friends, we know that much.
September 23, 2024
Published in March-April 2025 issue of Creative Inspirations
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My poetry. Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2025 All rights reserved.
–
many waters: more poems with 53 free verse poems,
and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”
Your comments are welcome—tell me what you’re thinking.
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by Richard Subber | Feb 20, 2025 | Book reviews, Books, Joys of reading, Reflections, Tidbits
a literate TO DO list
Book review:
Tabula Rasa: Volume 1
by John McPhee (b1931)
New York: Picador, 2023
180 pages
It’s potentially thrilling when a talented author decides to clear his plate and clear his mind of the old ideas that haven’t been transformed to words.
I dare to suggest that McPhee’s title, Tabula Rasa, was chosen with tongue firmly pressed against cheek. His mind was working and his imagination was full when he picked the best words for his TO DO list.
Some of the appeal of Tabula Rasa is that his short pieces (50 of them) were collected but not organized. Each one is at least around the corner from the next one, and it’s easy to guess that McPhee never was bored while he wrote them.
This is a literate and thought-filled way to clear the deck.
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Book review. Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2025 All rights reserved.
many waters: more poems with 53 free verse poems,
and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”
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by Richard Subber | Feb 18, 2025 | Books, My poetry, Poetry, Reflections, Tidbits
they do not tell…
Stonehenge
We look like a circle of stones.
We know why we stand here
but we do not tell,
perhaps we knew the beginning of time,
time means so little to us,
the ages come and go,
our circle stands, unmoving,
reflecting each break of day,
embracing the dawn of dawns,
remembering the chants of long ago,
accepting the credulous chatter
that fills our spaces,
accepting the lightest touch
of each fingertip
that seeks so many answers
to so many questions,
knowing that we exalt pure stillness,
indeed, knowing that the lintels
betray the ignorance
of beguiled masons,
knowing that we
are the upright fingers of the gods
that point to havens
above the sky,
knowing that we may rest on earth
until the unknown end of time.
December 28, 2024
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My poetry. Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2025 All rights reserved.
Play review: A Doll’s House
Henrik Ibsen’s classic on abuse…
–
many waters: more poems with 53 free verse poems,
and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”
Your comments are welcome—tell me what you’re thinking.
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by Richard Subber | Feb 13, 2025 | Reflections, Tidbits
The main thing is what counts…
Michelangelo “left three-fifths
of his sculptures unfinished.”
Maybe other projects came along.
Maybe the patron changed his mind.
Maybe Michelangelo got tired of working on those pieces.
Maybe he forgot.
Point is, don’t worry if you don’t finish everything you start.
Figure out what the main thing is, and do it.
from
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
by David Epstein (b1983)
New York: Riverhead Books, 2019
quote is from p. 164
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Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2025 All rights reserved.
84, Charing Cross Road (book review)
Helene Hanff, on reading good books…
–
many waters: more poems with 53 free verse poems,
and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”
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by Richard Subber | Feb 11, 2025 | Books, My poetry, Poetry, Reflections, Tidbits
see it clearly
dew not
Away, you foggy dew!
…in hazy morn it seems so clear,
our views of life embrace still air,
we want no clouds across our path,
we want no wind to fill the space
that brings the distant beauty near,
we want no rain
that draws our eyes
to up and up,
and wets the skies
and hides our dreams.
We want the void that touches all
and leaves no mark,
the see-through part
that makes each thing
some thing to see,
the empty place
where foggy dew
is always a stranger.
December 29, 2024
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My poetry. Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2025 All rights reserved.
Book review: A Cold Welcome
The culprit was global cooling,
500 years ago…
by Sam White
–
Writing Rainbows: Poems for Grown-Ups with 59 free verse and haiku poems,
and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”
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