Reznikoff "The day's brightness dwindles into stars." New York of Reznikoff and Coburn
Friends,
Seems our costume party will be fine indeed! still time to
sign up on yesterday's post. though I will be disguised by
holding a bacce ball(represnting Nicholas da Cusa's
Game of Spheres) it seems jadeejf will come
as me.
Wonderful to see a pitcher throw all 9 innings last night
in world series! This normal feat rendered rare by use
of computers etc in laying out games, pitch count,
match-ups etc.
Happy to have my car back. It was a stress
somehow and also a lot of money for me but the shift works
and I can drive. and listen to Tavener on cd in car. There
is perhaps $20 wasted, it is not really my taste. On the
other hand 20 for complete poems ofCharles Reznikoffis
money well spent.
I feel at once silly for not having known his poetry before
and delighted to have this new pleasure...Perhaps I am not
the only one to whom he is new?
Here he is on Time and the Heart. The last line was chosen
for his grave marker ...
"Now the sky begins to turn upon its hub-
the sun; each leaf revolves upon its stem;
now the plague of watches and of clocks nicks away
the day-
ten thousand thousand steps
tread upon the dawn
ten thousand thousand wheels
cross and criss-cross the day
and leave their ruts across its brightness;
the clocks
drip
in every room-
our lives are leaking from the places,
and the day's brightness dwindles into stars."
Let us have some more if you will.
Charles Reznikoff
remaining sections of Heart and Clock
II "If my days were like the ants,
I might carry away this mountain;
therefore, you must be precious to me,
seconds;
let them step and stamp upon you as they can,
I shall escape with a few grains.
III EVENING
The dark green leaves
of grass, bushes, and trees-
the jays are hushed
I see no squirrel scamper;
but the street lamps along the winding path
burning brightly
the work of man is not yet over.
IV. How pleasant
the silence of a holiday
to those who listen
to the long dialogue of heart and clock.
this from New York Autobiography
VII
The ropes in the wind
slapping the flag-pole
(the flag has been hauled down);
behind the bare tree-tops
the lights of an aeroplane
moving away slowly.
A star or two shining
between factory chimneys;
the street dark and still
because the street-lamp has been broken
and it is cold and late.
...
XI
“Shall I go there?” “As you like-
it will not matter; you are not at all important.”
The words stuck to me
like burrs. The path was hidden
under the fallen leaves; and here and there
the stream was choked. Where it forced a way
the ripples flashed a second.
She spoke unkindly but it was the truth:
I shared the sunshine like a leaf, a ripple;
thinking of this, sunned myself
and, for the moment, was content.
XII
There is nobody in the street
of those who crowded about David
to watch me
as I dance before the Lord:
alone in my unimportance
to do as I like.
...
XIV
The Bridge
In a cloud bones of steel."
.
.
I find a couple of images from my favorite photographer,
Alvin Langdon Coburn(1882-1966) when you think of it of
the same generation as Reznikoff(1894-1976) and both were
influenced greatly by Ezra Pound...Pound, the in some aspect
antisemite, association to Jewish poets like Reznikoff and
Zukofsky says something for them and for him perhaps.
Coburn only briefly in New York and Reznikoff forever walking
its streets...
How do you feel these?
or what else have you today? yours
+Seraphim
.
Seems our costume party will be fine indeed! still time to
sign up on yesterday's post. though I will be disguised by
holding a bacce ball(represnting Nicholas da Cusa's
Game of Spheres) it seems jadeejf will come
as me.
Wonderful to see a pitcher throw all 9 innings last night
in world series! This normal feat rendered rare by use
of computers etc in laying out games, pitch count,
match-ups etc.
Happy to have my car back. It was a stress
somehow and also a lot of money for me but the shift works
and I can drive. and listen to Tavener on cd in car. There
is perhaps $20 wasted, it is not really my taste. On the
other hand 20 for complete poems ofCharles Reznikoffis
money well spent.
I feel at once silly for not having known his poetry before
and delighted to have this new pleasure...Perhaps I am not
the only one to whom he is new?
Here he is on Time and the Heart. The last line was chosen
for his grave marker ...
"Now the sky begins to turn upon its hub-
the sun; each leaf revolves upon its stem;
now the plague of watches and of clocks nicks away
the day-
ten thousand thousand steps
tread upon the dawn
ten thousand thousand wheels
cross and criss-cross the day
and leave their ruts across its brightness;
the clocks
drip
in every room-
our lives are leaking from the places,
and the day's brightness dwindles into stars."
Let us have some more if you will.
Charles Reznikoff
remaining sections of Heart and Clock
II "If my days were like the ants,
I might carry away this mountain;
therefore, you must be precious to me,
seconds;
let them step and stamp upon you as they can,
I shall escape with a few grains.
III EVENING
The dark green leaves
of grass, bushes, and trees-
the jays are hushed
I see no squirrel scamper;
but the street lamps along the winding path
burning brightly
the work of man is not yet over.
IV. How pleasant
the silence of a holiday
to those who listen
to the long dialogue of heart and clock.
this from New York Autobiography
VII
The ropes in the wind
slapping the flag-pole
(the flag has been hauled down);
behind the bare tree-tops
the lights of an aeroplane
moving away slowly.
A star or two shining
between factory chimneys;
the street dark and still
because the street-lamp has been broken
and it is cold and late.
...
XI
“Shall I go there?” “As you like-
it will not matter; you are not at all important.”
The words stuck to me
like burrs. The path was hidden
under the fallen leaves; and here and there
the stream was choked. Where it forced a way
the ripples flashed a second.
She spoke unkindly but it was the truth:
I shared the sunshine like a leaf, a ripple;
thinking of this, sunned myself
and, for the moment, was content.
XII
There is nobody in the street
of those who crowded about David
to watch me
as I dance before the Lord:
alone in my unimportance
to do as I like.
...
XIV
The Bridge
In a cloud bones of steel."
.
.
I find a couple of images from my favorite photographer,
Alvin Langdon Coburn(1882-1966) when you think of it of
the same generation as Reznikoff(1894-1976) and both were
influenced greatly by Ezra Pound...Pound, the in some aspect
antisemite, association to Jewish poets like Reznikoff and
Zukofsky says something for them and for him perhaps.
Coburn only briefly in New York and Reznikoff forever walking
its streets...
How do you feel these?
or what else have you today? yours
+Seraphim
.