Sunday, August 2, 2009

1965. On Poet Laureate Al Young

Last weekend
We heard
Poet laureate
Al Young
We were happy
To see him
As he was
A venerable
Gentleman
Like Morpheus
Of the matrix
In his appearance
Strength
And warmth
Yet comfortably
Casual
Like the people
Who live here
He resonated
With the audience
His poems,
Though,
Couldn't hold
My attention
I remember
Only smatterings
He spoke of jazz
And he performed
His speech
Like rhythm
In music
He reminded me
Of a gentle
Scholarly
Professor
But my mind
Wandered
To my own
Writing
Why?
Later,
In the evening
I remembered
How I knew him
We saw him
The fourth
Of July
He and his
And me and mine
All collected
On a San Francisco
Hill
To watch
Colorful starbursts
In the sky
We didn't
Introduce ourselves
We stood nearby
Admiring
Another
Of the wonders
This lovely city
Provides us
We spoke briefly
Of the sparkling
Light


On Writing, Life in San Francisco


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