I've been thinking about this, (how could I not?), and, this morning, opened Fire to Fire again, as I do, and reread the poem, then went on to read, again, "My Tattoo," "Metro North," (God, ALIVE WITH PLEASURE), and "Golden Retrievals," with this shining, shining bark.
One thing that I'm thinking is that part of the shimmer around this work is -- how to say this? -- the way your craft and all that you poured into the work as you followed the metaphor (love your essay in the New Yorker link) has drawn (and draws) great washes of feeling, from me, maybe from Jenna who wrote in the blog at the link, from so many of us collectively, and that the shine of that isn't going anywhere, because even though some distort or muddy it, most of us, completely unable to articulate it, feel the poems as necessary to us, and (Adrienne Rich wrote this line in another poem I've never forgotten) send something back.
Susan, you made my day already, and it's only 7:30 in the morning here in Palo Alto -- a little foggy, so that the big redwoods that sprout up here and there in people's gardens (some of them already wider than the houses, and still heading upward and outward) were beautifully blurred. Anyway, thank you. You make me think of Chaucer talking about the heart as the "corage" -- a lovely reminder that heart and courage are the same thing -- you help me take heart.
As we are all indeed alike, and in this together - it would be ideal to fill these bars with patrons of all kinds - women, children, men, elders - of any religion, sexual orientation of skin color - together, we all glow and shine. When Mumbai was attacked, India met the terrorists with determined dignity. We will not be made to tremble. If I was there, I would have dinner in a gay bar tonight that we might remind those who wish to divide us that to threaten any group, any individual or any ideology will not be tolerated.
I am sorry your words were used in this way. But I am glad that the words have come to have a life of their own - they are art now, and will swim away from you (their creator) like children, grown. You have raised them well.
FYI: We visited Pike Place Market today and there wasn't even a hint of Mackerel. Somewhat disappointing, but at least no clues left in the ice bins. Business as usual. One Fishmonger told us Mackerel is a "special order".
6 comments:
I followed the links to the poem, and it is truly beautiful and wonderful.
That makes it all the more bizarre and frightening that it has now been put to such a use.
I hope you're enjoying Palo Alto!
I've been thinking about this, (how could I not?), and, this morning, opened Fire to Fire again, as I do, and reread the poem, then went on to read, again, "My Tattoo," "Metro North," (God, ALIVE WITH PLEASURE), and "Golden Retrievals," with this shining, shining bark.
One thing that I'm thinking is that part of the shimmer around this work is -- how to say this? -- the way your craft and all that you poured into the work as you followed the metaphor (love your essay in the New Yorker link) has drawn (and draws) great washes of feeling, from me, maybe from Jenna who wrote in the blog at the link, from so many of us collectively, and that the shine of that isn't going anywhere, because even though some distort or muddy it, most of us, completely unable to articulate it, feel the poems as necessary to us, and (Adrienne Rich wrote this line in another poem I've never forgotten) send something back.
Susan, you made my day already, and it's only 7:30 in the morning here in Palo Alto -- a little foggy, so that the big redwoods that sprout up here and there in people's gardens (some of them already wider than the houses,
and still heading upward and outward)
were beautifully blurred. Anyway, thank you. You make me think of Chaucer talking about the heart as the "corage" -- a lovely reminder that heart and courage are the same thing -- you help me take heart.
I'm glad. And, redwoods in people's gardens!
As we are all indeed alike, and in this together - it would be ideal to fill these bars with patrons of all kinds - women, children, men, elders - of any religion, sexual orientation of skin color - together, we all glow and shine. When Mumbai was attacked, India met the terrorists with determined dignity. We will not be made to tremble. If I was there, I would have dinner in a gay bar tonight that we might remind those who wish to divide us that to threaten any group, any individual or any ideology will not be tolerated.
I am sorry your words were used in this way. But I am glad that the words have come to have a life of their own - they are art now, and will swim away from you (their creator) like children, grown. You have raised them well.
-Krista Richards Mann
FYI: We visited Pike Place Market today and there wasn't even a hint of Mackerel. Somewhat disappointing, but at least no clues left in the ice bins. Business as usual. One Fishmonger told us Mackerel is a "special order".
Post a Comment