Friday, August 3, 2012




New Stanzas for Amazing Grace
By Lord Allen Ginsberg 1926–1997-

I dreamed I dwelled in a homeless place
Where I was lost alone
Folk looked right through me into space
And passed with eyes of stone

O homeless hand on many a street
Accept this change from me
A friendly smile or word is sweet
As fearless charity

Woe workingman who hears the cry
And cannot spare a dime
Nor look into a homeless eye
Afraid to give the time

So rich or poor no gold to talk
A smile on your face
The homeless ones where you may walk
Receive amazing grace

I dreamed I dwelled in a homeless place
Where I was lost alone
Folk looked right through me into space
And passed with eyes of stone
April 2, 1994
Composed at the request of Ed Sanders for his production of The New Amazing
Grace, performed November 20, 1994, at the Poetry Project in St. Mark’s Church
in-the-Bouwerie. Thanks to the Poetry Foundation.

The Poetry Friday Roundup is at On The Way to Somewhere with Rena Traxel



4 comments:

Mary Lee said...

Choose kindness, receive amazing grace. Yes.

Douglas Florian said...

Nice choice! Thanx!

tess said...

Beautiful poem. I love the collage of words and images that you're making here.

Douglas Florian said...

The photo looks to be from the fifties in Williamsburg brooklyn but the poem was written late in his life.