Ron Padgett > Quotes

“When I wake up earlier than you and you
are turned to face me, face
on the pillow and hair spread around,
I take a chance and stare at you,
amazed in love and afraid
that you might open your eyes and have
the daylights scared out of you.
But maybe with the daylights gone
you’d see how much my chest and head
implode for you, their voices trapped
inside like unborn children fearing
they will never see the light of day.
The opening in the wall now dimly glows
its rainy blue and gray. I tie my shoes
and go downstairs to put the coffee on.”
― Ron Padgett

“99 percent of every beautiful thing you ever knew escaped and went back out into the world where you vaguely remembered it.”
― Ron Padgett

“We have plenty of matches in our house
We keep them on hand always
Currently our favourite brand
Is Ohio Blue Tip
Though we used to prefer Diamond Brand
That was before we discovered
Ohio Blue Tip matches
They are excellently packaged
Sturdy little boxes
With dark and light blue and white labels
With words lettered
In the shape of a megaphone
As if to say even louder to the world
Here is the most beautiful match in the world
It’s one-and-a-half-inch soft pine stem
Capped by a grainy dark purple head
So sober and furious and stubbornly ready
To burst into flame
Lighting, perhaps the cigarette of the woman you love
For the first time
And it was never really the same after that
All this will we give you
That is what you gave me
I become the cigarette and you the match
Or I the match and you the cigarette
Blazing with kisses that smoulder towards heaven.”
― Ron Padgett, Collected Poems

“Love Poem

We have plenty of matches in our house
We keep them on hand always
Currently our favourite brand
Is Ohio Blue Tip
Though we used to prefer Diamond Brand
That was before we discovered
Ohio Blue Tip matches
They are excellently packaged
Sturdy little boxes
With dark and light blue and white labels
With words lettered
In the shape of a megaphone
As if to say even louder to the world
Here is the most beautiful match in the world
It’s one-and-a-half-inch soft pine stem
Capped by a grainy dark purple head
So sober and furious and stubbornly ready
To burst into flame
Lighting, perhaps the cigarette of the woman you love
For the first time
And it was never really the same after thatAll this will we give you
That is what you gave me
I become the cigarette and you the match
Or I the match and you the cigarette
Blazing with kisses that smoulder towards heaven.”
― Ron Padgett, Complete Poems

“Another One'

When you’re a child you learn there are three dimensions
Height, width and depth
Like a shoebox
Then later you hear there’s a fourth dimension
Time
Hmm
Then some say there can be five, six, seven…

I knock off work
Have a beer at the bar
I look down at the glass and feel glad.



'Poem'

I’m in the house
It’s nice out
Warm
Sun on cold snow
First day of spring
Or last day of winter

My legs run up the stairs
And out the door
My top half here writing.”
― Ron Padgett, Complete Poems

“her lower lip
was like an orange
mint. and
i was a crying
little boy
in the candy store.”
― Ron Padgett

“Forgive your country every once in a while. If that's not possible, go to another one.”
― Ron Padgett, How to Be Perfect: An Illustrated Guide

“Don't think progress exists. It doesn't.”
― Ron Padgett, How to Be Perfect: An Illustrated Guide

“If someone murders your child, get a shotgun and blow his head off.”
― Ron Padgett, How to Be Perfect: An Illustrated Guide

“Don't use the word 'extirpate' too often.”
― Ron Padgett, How to Be Perfect: An Illustrated Guide

“Contempla que todo es posible.

Si de pronto te da miedo nadar muy lejos océano adentro, da la vuelta y regresa al barco.

Respira.

Recuerda que la belleza existe y que la verdad no existe. Nota que la idea de verdad es tan poderosa como la de belleza”
― Ron Padgett, How to Be Perfect: Poems

“Inaction of Shoes

There are many things to be done today
and it’s a lovely day to do them in

Each thing a joy to do
and a joy to have done

I can tell because of the calm I feel
when I think about doing them

I can almost hear them say to me
Thank you for doing us

And when evening comes
I’ll remove my shoes and place them on the floor

And think how good they look
sitting? . . . standing? . . . there

Not doing anything”
― Ron Padgett, How Long

“This for That

What will I have for breakfast?
I wish I had some plums
like the ones in Williams’s poem.
He apologized to his wife
for eating them
but what he did not
do was apologize to those
who would read his poem
and also not be able to eat them.
That is why I like his poem
when I am not hungry.
Right now I do not like him
or his poem. This is just
to say that.

A kinesthesia for me! It is definitely the sort of poem that makes me go to the kitchen to check if I have some plumes. I really enjoy some of Padgett's poems!”
― Ron Padgett

“This for That

What will I have for breakfast?
I wish I had some plums
like the ones in Williams’s poem.
He apologized to his wife
for eating them
but what he did not
do was apologize to those
who would read his poem
and also not be able to eat them.
That is why I like his poem
when I am not hungry.
Right now I do not like him
or his poem. This is just
to say that.

A kinesthesia for me! It is definitely the sort of poem that makes me go to the kitchen to check if a have some plumes. I really enjoy some of Padgett's poems!”
― Ron Padgett

“Know that the only perfect things are a 300 game in bowling and a 27-batter, 27-out game in baseball.”
― Ron Padgett, How to Be Perfect: An Illustrated Guide

“Don't read the newspaper more than once a year.”
― Ron Padgett, How to Be Perfect: An Illustrated Guide

“Read and reread great books.”
― Ron Padgett, How to Be Perfect: An Illustrated Guide

“Make eye contact with a tree.”
― Ron Padgett, How to Be Perfect: An Illustrated Guide