notes for The Poetry Class, day 32

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