I never met Gregory Corso
but his words were Gasoline
to the engine of my mind.
I did meet Allen Ginsberg once.
He signed the books
whose Howl had assuaged my loneliness.
Here is a picture of the two of them,
another random human,
and a dog.
The tv is silent, cowed by the presence
of such vagabond intensity.
Corso shares a sandwich as if it were a chapbook.
Whitman said that not one animal is respectable.
Neither are poets, but they understand appetite
for food, for love, for being here now.
Come closer. I will shed a poem on you and make a mess,
then smile as if I had done something fine
to the engine of your mind
to assuage your loneliness.
I will do for you as these others have done for me,
off the leash and across the page
down through all the days of my life.
_______
for What's Going On? "It's Raining cats & Dogs."
Music: Jennifer Warnes and Leonard Cohen Song of Bernadette
A deep sigh of satisfaction. Absolutely perfect. I adore it all, especially the Come closer stanza. And the closing one. Your poems always carry the deeper truths of being human, but with elevated language and imagination. I read with awe and admiration.
ReplyDeleteShay, another amazing write...the use of shed is perfectly played into the poem. - Truedessa
ReplyDeleteCome closer. I will shed a poem on you and make a mess,
then smile as if I had done something fine
Shed away! It's hard to pick a line out of this many faceted gem of a poem.
ReplyDeleteThere is such joy of satisfaction reading your lines, Shay. You've truly "done something fine."
ReplyDeleteThis poem is so deceptively simple, yet it gives us a huge feast of thought and feeling in its straightforward phrases. To "share a sandwich as if it were a chapbook..," to "..shed a poem...and make a mess.." and so many other lines, like everything in the last four stanzas, reverberate with light and meaning. A poem only you could write, my friend, and a very fine one indeed.
ReplyDeleteThese lines made me smile, Shay they're so familiar:
ReplyDelete'Come closer. I will shed a poem on you and make a mess,
then smile as if I had done something fine'
and
'I will do for you as these others have done for me,
off the leash and across the page'.
I love how this flows and meditates on the world of poets and pets - wonderful! - Jae
ReplyDeleteOne of your finest yet again Shay! Your imagery of poetry and dogs is perfection! So much to love in every stanza and the closing lines simply wonderful!
ReplyDeleteG-d you're good! From first line to last. Sigh!!!!!
ReplyDelete“ I will do for you as these others have done for me,
ReplyDeleteoff the leash and across the page” as you have done so much for us!
"I did meet Allen Ginsberg once.
ReplyDeleteHe signed the books
whose Howl had assuaged my loneliness."
"Corso shares a sandwich as if it were a chapbook."
"I will do for you as these others have done for me,
off the leash and across the page
down through all the days of my life."
I love the reverence in this poem and how you communicate what poetry does for us and how you as poet also do so well.
Love the photo of them too! Which one's Ginsberg? I absolutely love Howl :)
Ginsberg on the left.
DeletePoets and dogs are intrinsically linked! This is perfect: "Neither are poets, but they understand appetite for food, for love, for being here now." Poets do understand how vital those three are. And oh how I love that final stanza.
ReplyDelete