Howard and the Details

[Todd]

"Old clothes are more friendly"
-Howard Hughes after contracting syphilis on why he burnt his expensive clothing adopting a more simple wardrobe.

-"Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos And Letters" by Richard Hack
***

Jane Russell had
four nipples.
Peas were
different sizes.
Peaches were
dirty, dirty, dirty.
Germs crawl
all over your face,

hands, touch
food with those?

Make the peaches
dirtier.

They didn’t pay attention.
Bette Davis’ bed was covered
in orchids, not gardenias.
Tiny blisters on the palms?
Syphilis! No, film editing.
Mason jars—perfect for storing
urine, and TV
dinners should always
remove that soggy-cherry thing.
Peach cobbler is better.

They didn’t know
what to do.
Fix the blouse;
it’s an engineering problem.
Line them up
use a fork for perspective.
To prevent sores
Mop with lye.
Burn the double-breasted tuxedo,
and all white dinner jackets.
Remember old clothes
are more friendly.

And if I’m going
to eat those things?

Scrub off the label!
Clean the bare metal
of the can. Be careful
with the fork; don’t touch
anything else. Did you remember
to cover your hands
with six Kleenex (not five or seven)?

They didn’t notice. They didn’t listen.
And the damn plane was birch
not spruce.

[billy]

i'm glad i watched the film and read the biog.

first off the title, i read it this time, it,s a good one.

so much to like about this poem todd. it really does embody the feel of the man. his inventions his achievements his mentality. you have it all within a few words.

the bra is there, the food, his obsessive compulsive behaviour and thoughts.
if i pasted what lines i liked it would be the whole poem
i'll just pick the ones that really addressed the man to me, not the bra, not the need to stay away from germs etc,

it's;
They didn’t notice. They didn’t listen.
And the damn plane was birch
not spruce.

often the tell or anecdote at the end of a poem fall flat. here he shines.

sorry for not being able to find fault with it

i do think it's very publishable

[Todd]

Damn! Billy thank you so much for the kind comments. I got sort of obsessive on this one spent about 6-8 months researching Hughes--my biggest issue with a guy like him was what not to put in.

I'm very glad you liked it.

Much appreciated,

Todd

[billy]

i think sometimes the poet writes a gem, sadly the accomplishment is hard to replicate
like you say, hughes could have a 100 poems written about him and his foibles.

few would match this one though. (jmo)

[Todd]

i think sometimes the poet writes a gem, sadly the accomplishment is hard to replicate

Isn't that the damn truth! haha

Sometimes lightning just strikes I guess and chooses not to kill you in the process.

Thanks

[heslopian]

Perfectly structured free verse piece; your line breaks are precise and effective. Don't know much about Howard Hughes beyond his problems with OCD and reclusiveness in later life, but you convey those things very well here. The Kleenexes line held resonance with me.

[Todd]

Perfectly structured free verse piece; your line breaks are precise and effective. Don't know much about Howard Hughes beyond his problems with OCD and reclusiveness in later life, but you convey those things very well here. The Kleenexes line held resonance with me.

Thank you so much I appreciate your kind comments. I'm glad you liked the kleenex lines that felt risky for me when I wrote it but it seemed to be consistent with Hughes.

Best,

Todd