OCTOBER by Ernest Noyes Brookings

OCTOBER
by Ernest Noyes Brookings

October the tenth month thirty-one days
Frequently trips to view autumn leaves
Occasionally a light fog or a dark haze
But not a detrimental cough or sneeze

In a large several room family home
Dad — would you like to view nature’s grandeur?
Mutually yes, lead us to the place to roam
The foliage was beautiful not manufactured

In a women’s modern cooperative home
Quote mater — gals, like to view nature’s beauty?
All quote — yes, it’s a great place to roam
And we consider it as our mutual duty

In a boy’s general education school
Master — would you like to view the beauty of God’s art?
Yes lead us there and we’ll obey the rule
And from our comrades we will never part

At a men’s industrial products meeting
Speaker — should we enjoy this autumn day?
Group — let’s go but no speeding
We all enjoyed the view, there was hay.

(this poem first appeared in The Duplex Planet #53, 1983)

Introduction to Ernest Noyes Brookings, poet and engineer:
Ernest Noyes Brookings was born in 1898 in Newbury, Massachusetts. He served in the Navy, attended MIT, and settled in Springfield, Vermont, where he worked as a designer of machine parts. When not designing, Mr. Brookings avidly pursued astronomy, the game of tennis and ham radio.

In 1979, while residing at the Duplex Nursing Home in Boston, he met David Greenberger who was employed there as activities director. Seeing his interest in the poetry of others, David suggested he write some of his own, which he immediately began doing provided he was supplied with a theme to write about. Emerging with a style of his own from the outset, his poems began appearing regularly in The Duplex Planet as well as numerous other publications. His book, We Did Not Plummet Into Space, was published in 1983.

In the last seven years of his life Ernest Brookings took to writing poetry with the vigor of youth or of a man with little time to spare. He wrote several hundred poems on a wide variety of subjects – from Frankenstein to Harry Truman, from broken hearts to kissing, from chairs to rockets – all receiving equal attention and all arranged with his gentle mixture of faith and logic.

Ernie died in 1987.

More info at: The Duplex Planet.

While you’re there, you can pick up a copy of the David Greenberger’s new CD, as he notes:

“Cherry Picking Apple Blossom Time.” is the result of a 3-month artist residency I did in Milwaukee for UWM’s Center on Age & Community. The CD has 38 pieces, monologues with music by Paul Cebar, performed by him, members of his band and other musicians from the Milwaukee and Chicago area. My text is all based on conversations I had with elderly who have memory loss. This is not grim stuff in the least, it is full of vitality, humor, warmth, and surprise. Musically robust, this can best be described as “a band with a guy talking.”

Place your order for the CD and and you’ll also receive free your choice of Lyrics by Ernest Noyes Brookings, Vol 3 or Vol 4. To receive one of these, just put your choice in the comments box when place your order.