Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Perseverance As a Vehicle for Poetry

All this waiting for inspiration—
Sheer boredom for headstrong tyros,
I tell you. At breakneck speed they keep
Veering off the main branch
And over the nearest cliff in hot pursuit
Of a breathtaking view.

Left in the lurch, we
Older lemmings have to play it cool,
Idling on the edge
Steady as she goes, simply
Hanging in there,
Taking in the view.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Lament

If I had still one more everlasting
Song to sing, which one would sing

Of loss and for how long after
Would one cease to sing?


Monday, January 24, 2011

Those Were the Days, My Friends


The Editors of Madrona (Seattle, Washington, 1971-1979?): Photograph taken on the terrace of Eleni’s house in Remmatia, summer, 1985. From left to right, John Levy, JK (Ken) Osborne, Vassilis Zambaras—those were the days (including those much earlier than these), my friends. Ah, but do not let the somber black bordering deceive you: All three are alive and well and living their separate lives, though separated by thousands of miles of earth and water: Levy works for the Public Defender’s Office in Tucson, Arizona, Osborne is a retired high-school teacher now taking it easy in Marica, Brasil, and Zambaras is self-anointed Poet-in-Residence in the Peloponnese. 

More on Madrona and its editors coming up soon.




Sunday, January 23, 2011

Concordance

It is thus duly decreed:

In accordance with the laws
Of nature, heavenly

Raindrops shall fall,
And remain

Shining strings of beads adorning
This drab, naked clothesline

Till almighty earth overpowers them
And they succumb to the temptation

To exist accordingly.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Wise Old Bird

Sunset’s dying,
Not so
 
Transient owl
Tells me

It won’t
Last forever,
 
But who am I
To give a hoot.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...