from The Black Notebook

Diane di Prima



 

 

 

for days that old dream

like a window on an

     unimagined landscape

& the sun about to rise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

same bassist

40 years ago

Body & Soul

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dans l'intérieur

1.

dans l'intérieur                          la rue

runs backward                          curving

slightly to the left                     forming

an ovoid of indistinguishable

dimensionality                          des étoiles

                                                  étingués

be serious,                                mon ami,

                                                 les

merveilles                                sont ainsi

vacuous as                               eyes

 

2.

behind the door

               a road curves through

what might be a field

               or dune

tundra

               but the moon

is down...

 

 

 

 

 

 

archangel of fire enwraps

now melts                glaciers

               turf unexposed

for aoens                now trembles

               naked

 

under a vengeful sun

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look!

               the green ice

flickers out

 

               O look

like a great star

the color

               we are

shifts in the heavens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

meet & mate

tribal hate

               blind

cruelty older

               than cro

magnon

               splinters

                              bone

makes rubble

               of

the shapes

               time

so slowly

               built

all to dust

               all

splintered

               brick & bone

 

bright

               leverage

this laughter

               lifts

the cornerstone

 

(the edifice is pain)

 

the crystal

               (he held it)

never stops

               reflecting

doesn't

               get tired

(he turned it

                              caught

the

light, replaced it)

 

               in a bowl of rice

his hands

                              trembled

slightly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

break camp?

                              or leave it

as is?

               for whoever

comes this way

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Aug. 3, 2002]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Les Etoiles

who spilled the popcorn

                              @ the cosmic drive-in

&

               what's playing

anyway?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the suite

               don't suit

take a seat.

               No sweat.

I'm splitting.

               Outa sight!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the crystal bee

peers out of a glass hive

sniffs air

               smells white

crocus.                Snow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Chino Roshi

gone

to hang with Philip?

share quips or koans

play your shakuhachi

under a different

tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Concert

young groomed &

                              flawless

no idea what's up

or shaggy & drink

                              in hand

 

2.

outside

it's going to hell

dogs of war baying

               @ a gibbous moon

 

3.

It's good.

They're young and healthy.

I hope they're rich.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in here

American music,

in here

no war

in here

no market going down

A-

mer

ikan                               MU

sic      ,      you dig

 

in here

only love

      & loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

voyager

step easy

into this

ship       it means

no harm

sweet

traveller       no

room in yr

bright life

for this

bitterness

this       un

ease       step

aboard fine

warrior

                    feel

the ropes

strain       hear

the wind

 

 

 

 

 

 

PHILIP WHALEN'S MEMORIAL

 

1.

Phil had the best painkillers:

fried chicken & wine—

 

There's tryptophane in chicken.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.

Trifles

 

FRAG-

GILE,       in sensible

shoes                     breath-

less or hearty

 

what would you make of us?

FRED

                 is that music???

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.

Flowering plums, those

red leaves last

petals on dirty

slabs              of pavement

 

yr       watery              pale

eyes peering                            thru

the branches

 

At the sky?

 

Or the day you asked

are there buds on the

bare branches              yet?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.

Leslie

 

                                 carnelian

choker       gives the lie

 

to all that — is it? —

 

shyness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.

Friends Read for Philip

 

gallant

in old age

still

up

right

shiny eyes

 

autumn

tearing it up

outside

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.

"FORM IS FOR CRYSTALS" — P.W.

"Right behind you"

 

Hold the door

 

wd you?

 

 

 

[Aug 30, 2002]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chino Roshi

 

dark rendezvous

in a shallow pool

 

she called. you came.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DR. JOHN AT YOSHI'S, 2002

dark sea
flacks of light, bubbles
of breath
             swish of whose
tail in these thick
waters?        dark

sea,               & viscous
                     the
invitation à voyage
sinister

       star light
casts such thin
              shadows
on this
              mud. . . .

where
       go?
              outward is
so glib,        easy,        padre
&
       meaningless —
                            dark

sea, dig it.
                     offers

sinuous
              ripple in
these walking
                     trees        nomad

offer:
                  b l o o d        Voyage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

what falls

from those mourning

planets

              onto

the penetrable

                            ground?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ceru-

le an:

              tender

as the heart

of a storm .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Longetivity:

       worth it

 

              if I can

              right it.

              write it.

              rite it.