"Don't force poems to let go of limbo..."

THE DEAD IN FROCK COATS
—Carlos Drummond de Andrade

In the corner of the living room was an album of unbearable photos,
many meters high and infinite minutes old,
over which everyone leaned
making fun of the dead in frock coats.

Then a worm began to chew the indifferent coats,
the pages, the inscriptions, and even the dust on the pictures.
The only thing it did not chew was the everlasting sob of life that broke
and broke from those pages.

_______________________

BOY CRYING IN THE NIGHT
—Carlos Drummond de Andrade

In the warm, humid night, noiseless and dead, a boy cries.
His crying behind the wall, the light behind the window
are lost in the shadow of muffled footsteps, of tired voices.
Yet the sound of medicine poured into a spoon can be heard.

A boy cries in the night, behind the wall, across the street,
far away a boy cries, in another city,
in another world, perhaps.

And I see the hand that llifts the spoon while the other holds the head,
and I see the slick thread run down the boy's chin,
and slip into the street, only a thread, and slip through the city.
And nobody else in the world exists but that boy crying.

_______________________

This is an excerpt from his "Looking For Poetry":

Enter the kingdom of words as if you were deaf.
Poems are there that want to be written.
They are dormant, but don't be let down,
their virginal surfaces are fresh and serene.
They are alone and mute, in dictionary condition.
Live with your poems before you write them.
If they're vague, be patient. If they offend, be calm.
Wait untiil each one comes into its own and demolishes
with its command of words
and its command of silence.
Don't force poems to let go of limbo.
Don't pick up lost poems from the ground.
Don't fawn over poems. Accept them
as you would their final and definitive form,
distilled in space.

________________________

For years, I've had "Don't force poems to let go of limbo" tacked up on my wall. But it's a constant struggle...

B.L. Kennedy writes: Linda Thorell, myself and our organization T.A.G. (The Archives Group) have been funded at 85% by Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Council and the ArtScapes Grant Program to do our project. As you know, the project is to do a two-disc DVD on poetry in Sacramento circa 1960 to 2005.

Congrats, Bari and Linda!

And don't forget tomorrow night's special Rattle-read and book release party at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac, 7:30pm: Ron Tranquilla: An Ocean-Front Hotel Room.

—Medusa

Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their poetry and announcements of Northern California poetry events to kathykieth@hotmail.com for posting on this daily Snake blog. Rights remain with the poets.