influence kyla When I first read that poem by Ezra Pound (see "fugue"), those were the only words I could conjur whenever I went to start a poem. "Be in me as the...". They still come up every so often. It's a resonant pattern, I think. 020330 ... Alvarny I do not think I can ever outgrow the influences that shaped me when I was a child. Whatever I was taught, was not wrong, but to think of it as the only, absolute right is definitely a mistake.... But I cannot help it and probably no one can help me. 050827 ... tender_square “i don’t move with things at the same pace that you do.” “i know; that’s why you’re the tortoise. hey! didn’t you just get a cupcake with that name at the bakery?” she laughed at the synchronicity. “i did.” they continued walking in the cold. “is it okay that i’m a tortoise?” “yeah.” “are you sure?” she exhaled through her scarf. “that’s your way.” “just because nothing is going on out there,” he waved his hands in front of him, “doesn’t mean that a lot isn’t happening here and here,” he pointed to his head and his heart. “i’ve lived my whole life with people thinking that i do nothing because they can’t see the work that is going on within.” “i know. but just because you see me out here,” she borrowed his action to capture the external with her gloved hands, “doesn’t mean that i’m not taking the time to work within. i mean, wouldn’t you say that i’ve taken in a lot of your influence on that?” “how do you mean?” “since we first met. i’m not the same person i was then.” “yeah, but you were, like, up in the stratosphere with how you were. i don’t think this could have worked if you had stayed there.” “okay…but i still allowed myself to take a step back and learn another way to be. i mean…” she hesitated. “i wish that i influenced you more.” “you have influenced me, just not in the social-butterfly way that you may want.” “i’m not expecting you to be as social as me, just more so than you are now.” their steps filled the silence. “how, exactly, have i influenced you? i’m curious.” “well, i’m a lot cleaner than i used to be. i’m far more organized than i was in the past. i more practical in that way.” “but isn’t that, like, just part of what’s required when you live with another person?” “not for me. i’ve never been great with pragmatism. it’s always been a struggle for me. i never would’ve gotten into buying a house, and dealing with all the things required of setting up a home. i never would've owned property if it weren’t for us being together.” she turned and gave him a dubious expression. “that’s the thing, just because i can be pragmatic doesn’t mean that it comes easy to me. people think that because you’re able to be a certain way it means it comes naturally to you when it doesn’t.” her stomach soured. that this was the entirety of impression she’d made on him in their seven years together was not enough. not nearly enough. 220214 what's it to you? who go blather from