O gracious Father, who openest thine
hand and fillest all things living with
plenteousness…
—The Book of Common Prayer
Extend your hand beyond the door, beyond
the warmth of furnace and glow of fireplace, out
where the night winds chap the flesh and make
cold spread your body’s length. Extend your hand
and let the snowflakes settle in the dark, in the slight
breeze that spirals the flakes in the shards of moonlight
flickering between clouds that gather and scatter,
gather again. Extend your hand and let the darkness
rest in your palm, the plentitude, let the slight
spray of starlight exaggerate the hills and furrows
lining your hand, the world in miniature, hills that
rise beyond the pond invisible in the night, beyond
those hills the river, then the hills beyond that, the trees
and all the fruit waiting in their limbs to urge
outward, to press themselves furiously into light.
3 comments:
What a wonderful poem. Really enjoyed it. This is classic Hoey. Revision of something old? And thank you for sending the Creeley review.
Brand new poem. I've finished a ms. of poems set in a bar in Potsdam (somewhat fictionalized) I used to go to. Farmers, millworkers, no students. Poems that involve stories and interactions. Lots of dialogue. When I finished that ms., I knew that I needed to clear my mind of that approach and started working with lyrics. I've written more than a dozen, all with epigraphs from The Book of Common Prayer.
I've always appreciated Creeley. I reviewed, I believe, his Collected Poems when I was doing "The Year in Poetry" for Gale. It was a very positive review. I reviewed Ashbery twice--the first time a very positive review, the second pretty much negative.
Interesting how the cadence and syntax reminds me so much of older poems. But then you are the author and have a style. The country music poems are different poetically.
Glad to hear some kind words about Creeley. He's gone and now history will decide. I think his longevity helped. Since his death, of course, there has been an outpouring of praise. But it was not always like that. I think even in the '70s the jury was out. I was skeptical, and I went to SUNY Buffalo. The work was so derivative of Williams and "For Love" was so mushy in places that I think a lot of people weren't sure. But, finally, he proved himself and you have to admit some contributions and triumphs. Being Olson's sidekick for so long must have been a bit discouraging.
I NEVER could stand Ashbery, ever. Never understood the buzz. As far as I'm concerned with anything he wrote: Someone already did it and did it better. I'm harsh on that one.
Hope you keep posting new work. Great way to keep up.
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