Wednesday
17th October, 2007
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A Thought for Today
Strength is the ability to weather insults and take criticism for what it is. Somebody else's opinion.
This
One Does It For Me!
Ken,
A quick question - I know Rod has written at some length about San
Francisco but seeing as he lives in Los Angeles, has he ever written
about that city?
Pamela Allan
He certainly has, Pamela,
most notably in the book "Love's Been Good to Me."
Here's his introduction to
the book followed by the poem.
Author’s Note
Love’s Been Good to Me is not a very extraordinary title for a
collection of my poetry. I write about love often, in all of its
aspects. If, in life, the feelings I’ve been willing to share have not
always been greeted with the same amount of ardor I directed toward a
love object I can’t complain.
I’ve known certain minutes of pleasure worth millenniums of pain. And I
assure you I was younger - perhaps a lot younger - when I stated ‘there
is no loving without losing’. I would amend that statement now and say
that I have never loved and not learned something valuable... however
difficult the circumstance, however lean the pickings, I always came
away with more than what I gave. Even when I was sure I’d given the lot.
If there is a so-called lot ( all there is ) to loving, I’m convinced
that several lifetimes would not, could not, exhaust the lover. If
certain experiences I write about seem born of pain, they surely were,
but the compensation - not always evident at the time, overrides the
sorrow and self-pity.
Perhaps my banner with its strange device is merely made of hope heaped
high on hope in the name of self-preservation. I don’t think so. I enter
into each relationship with trust and I am not easily convinced that
something I want badly enough or believe in will not work. Love works if
you work at it.
So much for platitudes, except that I’m convinced there is little life
without love. Love has in common with living, good times - bad times.
Some years ago I wrote a song called Love’s Been Good to Me. It was all
about traveling and loving in different climates. This book is a
collection of things I’ve written about the different climates of love.
Some of the poems date back more than twenty years and were written in
twice that many countries and places. Some of the poetry included here
was selected with the help of friends. Good friends. Most of it was
reselected in the middle of the night when friends are fast asleep and
the written word is more a rival than a roommate. The newest poems were
composed in Los Angeles and New York.
For as long as I can remember giving concerts I’ve stated at the end of
each one “it doesn’t matter who you love or how you love but that you
love” adding, “If you came with somebody... be nice to them, if you
didn’t - look around”. Last night in Philadelphia after the second show,
I forgot to remind the audience of that belief. And you know what, I
came home alone.
R.M. January 1, 1979 New York City
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