Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Room With A (Point of) View

He said—

 
Necessity
 
Work?
I don’t have to work.
I don’t have to do nothing
but eat, drink, stay black, and die.
This little old furnished room’s
so small I can’t whip a cat
without getting fur in my mouth
and my landlady’s so old
her features is all run together
and God knows she sure can overcharge—
Which is why I reckon I does
Have to work after all.
 
Langston Hughes 
  
 

She said—

 
Rent
 
If you want my apartment, sleep in it
but let’s have a clear understanding:
the books are still free agents.
 
If the rocking chair’s arms surround you
they can also let you go,
they can shape the air like a body.
 
I don’t want your rent, I want
a radiance of attention
like the candle’s flame when we eat.
 
I mean a kind of awe
attending the spaces between us—
Not a roof but a field of stars. 
 
Jane Cooper

Every room comes with a price.