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