Rod McKuen - Flight Plan


31st July & 1st August, 2008 New concerts announced! Click HERE for details.		Photo by Jay Hagan, 7/12/08 Burbank, CA A Thought for Today You earn love by learning love. FROM the¨BOOKS ENDLESS SUMMERS Too much sun within the endless summers has made my mind forget whose pleasure prisoner I was when the knot was tied. Who I pretended to or who pretended to me that we were living out the lovers' dream. Who I said words for before should not be paramount or prime only that I wrote them once. Got them out and out from under me, delivered them in time to start the chain, broken often, but always mended. The most important thing I am is a guardian of dreams, the least important thing I am is me. Hurry someone. Another week and I'll be ready. - from the US version of "The Sea Around Me," 1977 Click on the Stanyan House logo to buy Rod McKuen books, CD's and lots more Click on the heart logo to subscribe to the Rod McKuen mailing list Catch Rod McKuen live! Click on the links below for details of concerts and appearances. ROD McKUEN CONCERTS ROD McKUEN APPEARANCES



		Thursday 31 July Hank Bauer o Bill Berry o Helena Blavatsky o Dean Cain o Geraldine Chaplin o Jim Corr o Norman Del Mar o Susan Flannery o Milton Friedman o Evonne Goolagong o Curt Gowdy o S.S. Kresge o Irv Kupcinet o Sherry Lansing o Gary Lewis o George Liberace o Maximilian II o Don Murray o France Nuyen o Peter Rosegger o J.K. Rowling o Wesley Snipes o Barry Van Dyke o Whitney Young, Jr. Friday 1 August Theo Adam o Ashley Angel o Tempest Bledsoe o Lionel Bart o William Clark o Coolio o Dom Deluise o Gant Gaither o Jerry Garcia o Arthur Hill o Geoffrey Holder o Francis Scott Key o Rose Macukay o Marie France McKuen o Herman Melville o Juliet Mills o Jerome Moross o Yves St. Laurent o Morris Stoloff o Michael Stewart

		Romance is a way of transcending the ordinary. It is an ethic of its own. Bend a little and you straighten better. Only the seed the old tree drops to start another cycle is of importance.

THE DAY AFTER THE FORTY-EIGHTH		Another table with wooden legs. I walk from one room to another. She walks away toward the city. I am still alone. In a holding pattern. One tenant in the now-built building has greened his balcony with Astro-turf. The moon is not up. And not coming. Yesterday balloons arrived. In seven colors. The elevator opened. It was empty. I'm told she is not coming back. The telephone. Dennis at this hour? The Pepsi-Cola sign lights up. The city lights up with it. The building now obstructs the view. I've started writing again. The cats are scrambling to get out. The heat's turned off. It must be spring. The landlord economizes. I think of moving. They're tearing down the walls upstairs. The cats are scratching to come in again I must have missed the equinox She's back. She speaks to me. I speak back. We both say nothing. Words are vacant. I am no longer obsessed or worry over what goes on in the new building. Maybe I will take an elevator ride. Dennis calls and says Write something nice about the rain. My brother leaves for Costa Rica. I write something nice about the rain. I play again with crystal blocks. Is that the moon? It is. She asks if I will loan her money. The noise upstairs is like a dozen drummers. Someone jumped or fell from the roof last night or early in the morning. Icarus has blundered once again. Dennis calls. I tell him no. I am making a list of all my lists. I wrote her a check in blood red ink. Some birds I had not seen before appear. I am not partial to the month of May. Outside another balcony is greened. Dennis calls. I answer, maybe. The girl is back. She brought a rose. God climbs the stairs for exercise. An anthill menaces the master bedroom. Astronauts buried my book on the moon. The cats are chasing their own tails. The telephone rings and rings and rings. I am not writing. The words fail. Nicki claws at the last balloon. The girl keeps waving the birds away. The L in the Pepsi-Cola sign is out. My brother's plane has been delayed. I'm told it's only another revolution. Finally the last balloon explodes. Dennis is standing outside in the hall. A table with wooden legs. Nothing changes. - from "The Beautiful Strangers", 1981

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