Comments for Cosmopoetica Commonplace Book http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb Quotes, snippets, things that caught my eye... Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:07:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 Comment on “Tomatoes” by lalo http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2005/08/14/dobyns-tomatoes/comment-page-1/#comment-22927 lalo Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:26:42 +0000 http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2005/08/14/tomatoes/#comment-22927 can anyone tell me what this poem mean? can anyone tell me what this poem mean?

]]> Comment on on Daily Life and Poetry by krista s. http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2005/07/18/rilke-on-daily-life-and-poetry/comment-page-1/#comment-22807 krista s. Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:05:41 +0000 http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2005/07/18/on-daily-life-and-poetry/#comment-22807 Im rilly sorry can you tell me more about yourself Im rilly sorry can you tell me more about yourself

]]> Comment on “Allegro” by Mats Lundberg http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2005/10/16/allegro/comment-page-1/#comment-21766 Mats Lundberg Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:02:27 +0000 http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2005/10/16/allegro/#comment-21766 Maybe my favourite poem from Tranströmer. But I must say I find it so so much better in Swedish. So much get lost in translations. Maybe my favourite poem from Tranströmer. But I must say I find it so so much better in Swedish. So much get lost in translations.

]]> Comment on “Ode to a Lemon” by omft http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2006/07/03/ode-to-a-lemon/comment-page-1/#comment-21136 omft Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:19:07 +0000 http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2006/07/03/ode-to-a-lemon/#comment-21136 "a breast and a nipple perfuming the earth" i like it and so does my girlfriend. nice work “a breast and a nipple
perfuming the earth”

i like it and so does my girlfriend. nice work

]]> Comment on “The Secret of Poetry” by Sara http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2008/02/02/the-secret-of-poetry/comment-page-1/#comment-20476 Sara Sat, 02 Feb 2008 23:42:50 +0000 http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2008/02/02/the-secret-of-poetry/#comment-20476 This poem blows me away. The last line resonates and keeps echoing long after I have finished reading. This poem blows me away. The last line resonates and keeps echoing long after I have finished reading.

]]> Comment on on Nihilism by Jim http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2007/11/20/on-nihilism/comment-page-1/#comment-20455 Jim Fri, 01 Feb 2008 05:54:49 +0000 http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2007/11/20/on-nihilism/#comment-20455 Intense! Intense!

]]> Comment on “The Way Pilots Walk” by ! http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2007/12/02/the-way-pilots-walk/comment-page-1/#comment-20270 ! Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:47:22 +0000 http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2007/12/02/the-way-pilots-walk/#comment-20270 This is amazing. This is amazing.

]]> Comment on “Hero and Leander” by Mary Novik http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2007/05/06/hero-and-leander/comment-page-1/#comment-20266 Mary Novik Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:55:22 +0000 http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2007/05/06/hero-and-leander/#comment-20266 I should have also said that, for those of you interested in poetry, I also post a new poem by John Donne on my website each month, with a short commentary. Most of them have figured in my novel Conceit in some way. I've just put up two new poems today at http://www.marynovik.com/pages/backgrounds/poem-by-john-donne1.htm I should have also said that, for those of you interested in poetry, I also post a new poem by John Donne on my website each month, with a short commentary. Most of them have figured in my novel Conceit in some way.

I’ve just put up two new poems today at
http://www.marynovik.com/pages/backgrounds/poem-by-john-donne1.htm

]]> Comment on “Hero and Leander” by Mary Novik http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2007/05/06/hero-and-leander/comment-page-1/#comment-20179 Mary Novik Sun, 06 Jan 2008 02:02:42 +0000 http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2007/05/06/hero-and-leander/#comment-20179 Thanks for posting that link, Chris. I've been pretty busy since Conceit was published by Doubleday Canada on September 1. It's been a lot of fun, reading from the novel at various events. Now things are a bit quieter and I can think about starting a new book. BTW, there's some interesting background information about John Donne at my website on the "backgrounds" page, http://www.marynovik.com/backgrounds.htm Mary Thanks for posting that link, Chris. I’ve been pretty busy since Conceit was published by Doubleday Canada on September 1. It’s been a lot of fun, reading from the novel at various events. Now things are a bit quieter and I can think about starting a new book.

BTW, there’s some interesting background information about John Donne at my website on the “backgrounds” page, http://www.marynovik.com/backgrounds.htm

Mary

]]> Comment on “Aspects of Robinson” by Martin Marcus http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2005/07/28/aspects-of-robinson/comment-page-1/#comment-19977 Martin Marcus Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:02:49 +0000 http://www.cosmopoetica.com/cpb/library/2005/07/28/aspects-of-robinson/#comment-19977 I have always loved and admired this poem. Loved because of it's beautiful suggestiveness, of time place and mood. Admired because in a few stanzas Kees has packed a novel's worth of character development. I actually modeled my own poem after it. Aspects of Kaminsky (with apologies to Weldon Kees) Kaminsky checking out a book at the library, The unspoiled skin of the child employee, Tight slim shape he can make out behind the counter. Her eyes blind to him as she takes his Library card. Kaminsky at Walgreens, the matrons come and go, Some carelessly dressed, still frowzy from home Yet sexy, their merciless asses swinging. He cringes that someone (his wife? The police?) Might catch him in the act of his thoughts. Kaminsky under the endoscope or the colonoscope or the MRI His places secret even to him on close terms with adolescent medicos. Out of hearing, “Gotta hand it to the old guy. Still looks pretty good.” Looks pretty good to who? thinks Kaminsky. He begins to own the body he’s seen on aging charts, stage five. Kaminsky looking through his windshield At the shocking night sky. Shocking, like him It seems to have changed. The old true stars blur uncertainly Like the traffic lights, like the dashboard numbers, He feels…can it be felt?…blurred. Kaminsky at the keyboard--his tractor, His violin, his coal mine, his dream machine, his jail. A life of typing, of ribbons and white-out, Evanescent praise and dismal rejections tapped out Through his stiffening fingers. Kaminsky in bed, his wife a silent heap at his side, thanks God On his bedroom ceiling. He has been lucky, so lucky, so far. His watch ticks the seconds loudly in the dark. He’s lived so many. But Kaminsky wants more. Kaminsky wants too much. Kaminsky wants to be Young. I have always loved and admired this poem. Loved because of it’s beautiful suggestiveness, of time place and mood.
Admired because in a few stanzas Kees has packed a novel’s worth of character development. I actually modeled my own poem after it.

Aspects of Kaminsky

(with apologies to Weldon Kees)

Kaminsky checking out a book at the library,
The unspoiled skin of the child employee,
Tight slim shape he can make out behind the counter.
Her eyes blind to him as she takes his
Library card.

Kaminsky at Walgreens, the matrons come and go,
Some carelessly dressed, still frowzy from home
Yet sexy, their merciless asses swinging.
He cringes that someone (his wife? The police?)
Might catch him in the act of his thoughts.

Kaminsky under the endoscope or the colonoscope or the MRI
His places secret even to him on close terms with adolescent medicos.
Out of hearing, “Gotta hand it to the old guy. Still looks pretty good.”
Looks pretty good to who? thinks Kaminsky.
He begins to own the body he’s seen on aging charts, stage five.

Kaminsky looking through his windshield
At the shocking night sky. Shocking, like him
It seems to have changed. The old true stars blur uncertainly
Like the traffic lights, like the dashboard numbers,
He feels…can it be felt?…blurred.

Kaminsky at the keyboard–his tractor,
His violin, his coal mine, his dream machine, his jail.
A life of typing, of ribbons and white-out,
Evanescent praise and dismal rejections tapped out
Through his stiffening fingers.

Kaminsky in bed, his wife a silent heap at his side, thanks God
On his bedroom ceiling. He has been lucky, so lucky, so far.
His watch ticks the seconds loudly in the dark. He’s lived so many.
But Kaminsky wants more. Kaminsky wants too much. Kaminsky wants to be
Young.

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