Discussion 4/6

 

"Beannacht" by John O'Donohue (Blessing)

The Importance of Elsewhere by Philip Larkin

Chimney Sweep Apprentice by David Mills

Knuckles of Smoke: Peggy  by David Mills

Pray for Peace by Ellen Bass

Maternal Dusk, the Paternal Light: Celebrate the Lightness of  Being by Amit Dahiyabadshah

 Last Will and Testament of the Tiger by Amit Dahiyabadshah

Paul's comments: "moved by your selections for Wednesday,  I wondered what moved you to focus (in) on gritty and gutsy reality in those choices.  We, O  peners, are quite used to ethereal, internal, hidden and often tortured thoughts of modern poetry.

    Here is earthy stuff, stuff you can feel, smell, touch, hear, taste. There is pain and it is real.

There is flame and hot, iron pots and sweat on upper lips. There is creosote and dirt and bricks and black bread and...imagine, knuckles of smoke ! ...  So much is physical in these poems, so much to actually grasp and turn and ponder. 

Nutshell:

O'Donohue:  we are fortunate to have our resident Irishman, Paul explain that Beannacht means blessing, and that the penultimate stanza "May the nourishment..." is a variation of the prayer on St. Patrick's breast plate!  Paul elaborated on the footnote about currach as well-- this boat is covered typically with sheep skin, slathered with sheep fat... 

I mistook the word "a saxon" (the way Irish refer to the English according to Paul) for "assassin". 

Larkin: Ah... elsewhere -- this poem has a gentle understatedness about the joy of discovery in oneself that comes with  travel.

The Stranger, l'étranger in French, means "foreigner" -- what is different and unknown.  The opening stanza paints an idea of Larkin, with his good Irish name,  sitting in a pub sharing a pint-- there's a lilt in  that "salt rebuff of speech" -- and beautiful resonance in herring-hawker's cry... the hawker, a street seller, and the sounds bring us the raucous cries of gulls, attracted by those fish... 

What a strange adjective to be called "not unworkable" -- as in able to "work into" the scene... 

David Mills: These two poems were bone-chillingly graphic -- 

the smallness of those chimneys... hard to imagine even a small child wriggling up them -- and as Judith elaborated, most children didn't last long, either TB, beaten to death, neglect... and sometimes burned as a fire would be lit underneath them to force them up quicker... Oliver Twist comes to mind, but this poem underscores the cruelty.  Elaine brought up "Growin': What an effective colon on the last line after the last word of the penultimate stanza. Whether the swelling of the ankles to "black apples", a commentary on stunted growth, or the "trick"-- harder and harder to clean the chimney as a child grew...

Mary Poppins and the romanticized version of chimney sweeps, has a parallel with  other literary romanticized works painting slavery, child labor, and inhumane conditions in pastel colors.

Knuckles of smoke... we discussed the opening, "I got dark authority".  Sarcastic tone...? Sense of agency? At least in this inhumane setting, Peggy is in charge.  What lively language, rife with alliterations-- to describe the bickering pile of heavy cast-iron pots... the heat... where Peggy and all she spices, stirs, stews, boils, bakes is exactly what is happening to her. 

Ellen Bass:  Powerful, powerful poem.  One to read, re-read every day, pray, less harm, less harm, less harm. 

    " .....religious pain, religious symbols, religions, buses, money, 

movies, ATMs, eating and drinking, carrots and onions, hawks, wolves, whales, prayers, voices, water and choirs. So, everything we see or do or hear, each breath, each belief, is a prayer as we make our way, even a stumble in the street." -- Paul

I have written on the top of the poems. "quietude" -- it refers to Amit and his reading of "Maternal Dusk, the Paternal Light" -- but there is also this call for needing, wanting, imploring in pray for it.. 

Yes, every strand left on my head... may you sing in the choir on my head..."

and we return back to Beannacht... 

May the nourishment of the earth...not just be yours, but be for us all;

May the clarity of light ... descend on us all..