March 30, 1976 (I was 31)
notes for The Poetry Class, day 32
We did improvisational writing to guitar music from John Fahey’s
Yellow Princess
album. This lesson always works for
me. I attribute much
of the success to the music. It seems entirely appropriate for the exercise.
I’ve tried other records, but this was
twenty-five minutes of silent attentive listening/writing. I said if they could get into the music, its
rhythms and melodies would almost dictate the words to be written. Most found
themselves writing to the tempo of the music. I told them not to stop to
re-read or revise. When a thought ended or the music changed in
mood,
they were to draw a line and immediately pick
upon the new theme. The key
is to remain free enough to keep up the
pace. After the piece, the remainder
of the period was for reading, sorting and
revising. I always participate,
writing along as the class writes.
A
few examples:
The flow of the water
is the essence of the brook
turning upon the rocks
the bank, the bars of sand
hold it in your hand
to feel the cold
experience the fold
of the split foam
following its various directions
the eddies the currents
____________
where are the shadows
in the dark
singing songs of mourning
to the spiders as they spin
their strands of sun
to expose the phantoms
____________
two three four
it all goes
out some one else’s door
or scatters soundlessly about the floor
show to me the breaking shore
can’t see or hear any more
must get down to the foamy shore
break like the water upon the rocks
so if you are set to follow,
come
the world may be hollow
