Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Jack Foley ------- five poems

FOUR LOVE POEMS FOR SANGYE
AND A POEM FOR KAITLIN & HANNAH


1/ 50 DESIGNS TO MURDER MAGIC *
(written on meeting Sangye)

Can you say she took your breath away
Yes, I can say that
But you talked on to her
     And that
          Required 
                Breath
Can you say
She was beautiful 
Yes, I can say that 
     Her hair especially was beautiful 
               And her serious 
                      Eyes
     But she was also
               Exceptionally kind
She listened when you spoke
     Yes, and laughed
          When I said
               Something amusing 
Yet her laughter seemed almost
          Reluctant 
          As if she couldn’t quite help herself
As if something came from within 
(As something came from within me)

There was no way on earth we could be lovers

As I left she said, “It was wonderful to meet you”
I thanked her for being so considerate 

                      Her hair moved often
                                  As she moved


*  title from a collection by Antonin Artaud


*

2/ Sonnet 69: Perhaps Not To Be Is To Be Without Your Being
by Pablo Neruda
dedicated by Sangye (aged 33) “to Jack, my love”

Perhaps not to be is to be without your being,
without your going, that cuts noon light
like a blue flower, without your passing
later through fog and stones,

without the torch you lift in your hand
that others may not see as golden,
that perhaps no one believed blossomed
the glowing origin of the rose,

without, in the end, your being, your coming
suddenly, inspiringly, to know my life,
blaze of the rose-tree, wheat of the breeze:

and it follows that I am, because you are:
it follows from ‘you are’, that I am, and we:
and, because of love, you will, I will,
We will, come to be.

1959   
(translated by A.S. Kline)

Always,
Sangye


Soneto LXIX

Tal vea no ser es ser sin que tú seas,
sin que vayas cortando el mediodía
como una flor azul, sin que camines
más tarde por la niebla y los ladrillos,

sin esa luz que llevas en la mano
que tal vez otros no verán dorada,
que tal vea nadie supo que crecía
como el origen rojo de la rosa,

sin que seas, en fin, sin que vinieras
brusca, incitante, a conocer mi vida,
ráfaga de fosal, trigo del viento,

y desde entonces soy porque tú eres,
y desde entonces eres, soy y somos,
y por amor sere, serás, seremos.


Jack’s answer (Jack’s age: 77):

Suddenly you are eligible for death
Suddenly the card that applies to everyone else
Appears in your deck
Suddenly the people around you vanish
In a round that goes from funeral to funeral
Cremation to cremation
Suddenly the “infinity” of time
Closes
And this familiar, casual, daily, habitual world
Is under threat
Suddenly the word “not”
Comes into focus
“Perhaps not to be is to be without your being,
without your going, that cuts noon light
like a blue flower”—
Time spins
As Neruda knew
Like a blue flower.
Its impossible, possible blossoming
Is a gift for which there is no word
But Love


*



3/   LUNA PLENA

O mOOn
O luna
plena
O bright
I
in the sky
O full
O fOOl’s
mOOn
O
luna
O
Beauty
O
pleine
O
claire
de lune
i mOan
in your light,
rOund
O

for Sangye


*

4.

play with my hair
play with my hair
night comes near
night comes near
the deep air
the deep air
romantic strains 
romantic strains 
open my heart 
open my heart 
bring me near
bring me near
to fear and desire
to fear and desire
prayer has no efficacy 
prayer has no efficacy 
Light
Light
opens me
opens me
love
love
bends to the dance
bends to the dance


5. FOR KAITLIN & HANNAH, DEAR CHILD FRIENDS


Kaitlin & Hannah
Hannah & Kaitlin
Had an adventure
In a town called Childhood

Hannah saw a bird
And Kaitlin saw a bird
But the bird said Au contraire
I’m not a bird I’m really a free verse poet

A free verse poet
Said Kaitlin
I’ve never heard of such of thing
Nonetheless, said the bird,
That’s what I am

Hannah said, Will you favor us
With one of your verses
Certainly, said the bird
CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP
Pretty good, hah?

Well, said Kaitlin,
I would like it better if I understood it
It’s poetry
Said the bird
You’re not supposed to understand it

Hmmmm, said Hannah
I don’t think you’re
A very good
Free verse poet

Neither do I, said Kaitlin

You’re right, said the bird
It isn’t free verse at all:
I charge
Fifteen cents, please.

Hmph, said Hannah
And Hmph, said Kaitlin
And they didn’t give him any money
But went home
And wrote a free verse poem