"Painting, Smoking, Eating" by Philip Guston
For Poetry Fry Day:
Eating Poetry
by Mark Strand
Ink runs from the corners of my mouth.
There is no happiness like mine.
I have been eating poetry.
The librarian does not believe what she sees.
Her eyes are sad
and she walks with her hands in her dress.
The poems are gone.
The light is dim.
The dogs are on the basement stairs and coming up.
Their eyeballs roll,
their blond legs burn like brush.
The poor librarian begins to stamp her feet and weep.
She does not understand.
When I get on my knees and lick her hand,
she screams.
I am a new man.
I snarl at her and bark.
I romp with joy in the bookish dark.
by Mark Strand
Ink runs from the corners of my mouth.
There is no happiness like mine.
I have been eating poetry.
The librarian does not believe what she sees.
Her eyes are sad
and she walks with her hands in her dress.
The poems are gone.
The light is dim.
The dogs are on the basement stairs and coming up.
Their eyeballs roll,
their blond legs burn like brush.
The poor librarian begins to stamp her feet and weep.
She does not understand.
When I get on my knees and lick her hand,
she screams.
I am a new man.
I snarl at her and bark.
I romp with joy in the bookish dark.
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11 comments:
As usual I love your selections Douglas.
:D
Just peeked at your comets, sun, moon and mars poetry book. Love the funny cover. Was that your idea to have those cut outs?
You're so great!
You don't sell any of the originals anywhere do you? Or prints? I'd love to have some of your work in my future perfect studio.
:D
-Rose
That made me smile, thanks! Have missed "seeing" you in Blog-land. Hope you're keeping happy and busy!
Yes, this poem made me smirk.:)
I wonder how many calories a poem has...I think I would like to trade my cookie habit with poetry consumption.
I love this poem. Lee sent it to me a couple of years ago. Mark is fantastic.
there is something deliciously devilish about the notion of literally eating words. familiar with eric sanvoisin and martin matje's ink drinker books? such fun.
anyway, thanks for sharing this delight.
One of my faves. Thanks for posting it. Great painting, too.
Thanks so much, Rose. You can contact my email: laugheteria@aol.com for info about purchasing work.
I missed you too, Teresa. I've been super busy doing the art for my next book (poems about trees).
Kelly, That poem has 190 calories, but no fat.
Thanks, Jill. Yes Mark is great.
Thanks David for those pointers.
Yes, JAMA, we all have gusto for Guston.
Merci, Dooglas, for introducing me to this Mark Strand poem. I'd never heard or read it. It reminds me, of course, of "How to Eat A Poem" by Eve Merriam which I'm sure you know. Once my second graders have chomped down on this poem, they illustrate it, and amazing images are created! In Strand's poem, ink runs from the corners of the mouth; in Merriam's poem, one can imagine juice from any number of ripe, luscious fruits ready to be devoured by gluttonous poem lovers! May I leave you with it?
How To Eat a Poem
Don't be polite.
Bite in.
Pick it up with your fingers and lick the
juice that may run down your chin.
It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are.
You do not need a knife or fork or spoon
or plate or napkin or tablecloth.
For there is no core
or stem
or rind
or pit
or seed
or skin
to throw away.
-Eve Merriam
Ah, but the librarian would howl with the dogs and flick pages at the moon because librarians know where the poems live :)
That made me smile, thanks a lot for this wonderful blog!
___________________
Andrew
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That made me smile, thanks..really great to see this..Thanks for sharing..
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Jack
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