5am, Saturday, Aug 21, 2021. I awoke with the phrase "machines of loving grace" in my mind, and it wouldn't let go. Then it became "all watched over by machines of loving grace". I couldn't remember where this came from, so, fire up my bedside iPad and dig a bit. It turns out to be the title of a 1967 Brautigan poem! It later appeared in this book "The Pill vs..." which I know I read way back then (probably in the 1970's). I loved Brautigan for the ways he freed my mind to words playing together in new ways. I had several of his books in my library for decades, but I'm afraid I've given them away in the course of our life-style downsizing. In any case, fond memories arise. And I enjoyed reading that poem again "All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace". I see there's even a rock band today, carrying the name "Machines of Loving Grace". I haven't heard them... ( )

I just read this book on a whim because a copy of it came into my Little Free Library. I have another copy of this book I've saved since December, 1970. I remembered one poem, "It's Raining in Love", which I've always liked very much. I had been such a big Richard Brautigan fan "back in the day", but I haven't read any of his work for quite a long time. In this book, some of the poems I didn't care for, some were absurd, and some were so funny they made me laugh out loud. I think I'll save my original copy of this book for another fifty years! :D

Here are the poems I liked best, but you have to get the book yourself in order to read them:

Love Poem (true)
"Star-Spangled" Nails (sad)
Haiku Ambulance (weird)
I Feel Horrible. She Doesn't (made me laugh)
It's Raining in Love (so sweet)
November 3 (funny)
Your Catfish Friend (nice) ( )

Another catchy title. Now I think I really will read something by him again. I breezed thru most of his writings & then moved on into adulthood - leaving Brautigan behind in the dust. Is that why he killed himself? Did he get unfairly 'out-moded'? ( )

If I were dead
I couldn't attract
a female fly. ( )

Brautigan is all over the place here in theme, style, and length in a way that probably only he could pull off. A favorite of mine below...

Comets

There are comets
that flash through
our mouths wearing
the grace
of oceans and galaxies.

   God knows,
   we try to do the best
   we can.

There are comets
connected to chemicals
that telescope
down our tongues
to burn out against
the air.

   I know
   we do.

There are comets
that laugh at us
from behind our teeth
wearing the clothes
of fish and birds.

   We try. ( )