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Poem for South African Womenby June Jordan
Poem for South African Womenby June Jordan
Commemoration of the 40,000 women and children who, August 9, 1956, presented themselves in bodily protest against the “dompass” in the capital of apartheid. Presented at The United Nations, August 9, 1978.
from Passion (1980). (see Interview p. 66; March 21, 1979: Poetry in Person)
Sunday Lemons by Derek Walcott
[1]p. 122 Poetry in Person. "London. wondeful line, -- marvelous exactment… is it in the music? the metaphor? in the rhythm that moves as the line moves…"
Walcott: This is going to be very detailed, what I'm going to say: I don't like that line anymore.
… the pitch of a line is where one tests the honesty of a poet… reality is the vibration that happens differently to millions and millions of people over generations, and that is where the validity of the thing is.
… That line is one extra key, one extra pitch up that is not true to the harmony, or maybe the modesty, or what is being painted." modesty of speech: plain words, not necessarily the right ones. p. 123
vague (wave in French). the joyous torment all your life, doing the wrong thing… "ruin a fine tenor voice for effect that bring down the house". (Auden, In Praise of Limestone)
Water by Philip Larkin2
chemotherapy by Lucille Cliftonthe right hand column shows words from the original versions. Poetry in Person p, 158-9)
La Chapelle. 92nd Division. Ted. by Rita Dove (September, 1918)
Love is smoke stardust-like but smoke nonetheless. – Kamakura, Sayumi
Like a ghost that dances from the tip of a lit cigarette
I know what romance is, but it hasn't happened yet
Watch it floating up to heaven only knows
Disappearing before you get too close
It's only smoke
You might say a flame is burning
Only smoke
But my heart is more discerning
Only smoke...
Eyes are hypnotizing when they hold you within their embrace
Words are mesmerizing even when they've got nothing to say
The game is charming in an empty kind of way
What's the harm in asking me to play?
It's only smoke
You might say a flame is burning
Only smoke
But my heart is more discerning
I keep dreaming of a fire, but when I wake up to the cold
It's only smoke
I know what romance is, but it hasn't happened yet
Watch it floating up to heaven only knows
Disappearing before you get too close
It's only smoke
You might say a flame is burning
Only smoke
But my heart is more discerning
Only smoke...
Eyes are hypnotizing when they hold you within their embrace
Words are mesmerizing even when they've got nothing to say
The game is charming in an empty kind of way
What's the harm in asking me to play?
It's only smoke
You might say a flame is burning
Only smoke
But my heart is more discerning
I keep dreaming of a fire, but when I wake up to the cold
It's only smoke
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