Saturday, August 21, 2004

reading Walking by Stephen Vincent (Junction Press, 1993), which includes precursors to his "Walking Theory" poems. I think the writing is attention. there are myriad ways to accomplish that. I see Blackburn or Wieners as immersion. I think SV observes more quietly. Both Wieners (I'm thinking I may be the only poet in the Boston area who never met JW)and Blackburn, as to the natures, get beat about, retaining keel enough to hold the writing up or upright. SV stands in moments (note to self: how does one write about poetry without soundign blurbish?), plucking petals to float. and I mean that. "African Cycle" begins with this list:

Kill the cow
Drink the milk
Climb the tree
Break the branch
Scale the mountain
Split the rock
Pick the fruit
Throw the apple
Mine the metal
Burn the copper
Open the bucket
Fling the paint
Pick the cotton
Eat the seeds
Steal the pants
Rip the seam
Burn the house
Use the flame
Call an ancestor
Bury his name

I esp like "Steal the pants". it's all process. by the bye, the titles to Irish dance tunes can often evoke neat images and feeling, "Rip the Calico", "Toss the Feathers". anyway, I'm just poking long, it's how I read nowadays.

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