Thomas, hiding his heart with his hat

from “Jail Alley” in between Hanover and George Streets… behind the old Eyeclopes/new Third Floor Studios.

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When I was trying to come up with questions to ask the great Lady Baggott last week, I started thinking about what she has to say about formal poetry.  In “Why don’t you write formal poetry?” Baggott discusses how formal poetry can seem contrived and arranged, yet in “An Apologia for Using Words in Poetry” she seems to say that poetry in its essence is that arranging, that arrogant subjugation of words.  So, if her own free verse poems are arranged, if even those poems have to rein in the words and make them work for her, how is that so much different from formal poetry?  Doesn’t all poetry try to “arrange the world” (see line six of “Why don’t you…”)?

So I don’t know about you guys, but I found it unsettling and strangely appropriate to have the lovely Pro-Lifers giving us some free speech today on campus, just after we read “the mother.” Now, personally, I’m pro-life, but I was grossed out and offended. I especially did not like the part with the man in a T-shirt that said “Trust Jesus,” because I get really frustrated when the name of Christianity (something I would like to associate myself with) gets put on something that is designed to invoke terror. (“Planned Parenthood Planned Murder”… so… “Trust Jesus”??) There’s some found poetry for ya.

On the other hand, I’m relieved while reading “the mother” because it seems like an agenda-free portrait of the emotions associated with abortion. This is not to say that art should never have an agenda… just maybe that, on occasion, I like it better without.

I meant to post this about Ginsberg a while ago, but here it is now.

The interaction between “Lord Lord Lord” and “caw caw caw” that we discussed the other day made me think about this short video I saw a while ago. I looked for it on YouTube but I could only find clips that weren’t the part of it that I wanted. Anyway, the guy in the video talks about how every living thing is filled and animated by the breath of God, and God made the breathing of each creature to sound like his own name. Weird, but stay with me for a second. The Hebrew name for God is “Yahweh,” or “YHWH,” and the video talks about how with each breath, we make the sounds of these letters: (breathe in) “yo” (breathe out) “ha” (breathe in) “weh” (breathe out) “ha” and so on.

I thought that was a cool idea and I was reminded of it when we were talking about that particular poem – what if “caw,” the only word the crows can say, is the same as “Lord” for us, and with every breath, all we do is cry to whoever we believe God is – in terror, or joy, or disillusionment, or in hopes that he’ll show himself?

Printed on my shower gel (Philosophy brand “Amazing Grace Perfumed Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel”):

“philosophy: life is a classroom. we are both student and teacher. each day is a test. and each day we receive a passing or failing grade in one particular subject: grace. grace is compassion, gratitude, surrender, faith, forgiveness, good manners, reverence, and the list goes on. it’s something money can’t buy and credentials rarely produce. being the smartest, the prettiest, the most talented, the richest, or even the poorest, can’t help. being a humble person can and being a helpful person can guide you through your days with grace and gratitude.”

not too a bad reminder to read every day in the shower!

i am growing a bonsai tree in my window: (more…)