For Charles Reznikoff
Lawyerly poet distilling
love and music from
inspiration, poeming
like a paralegal, a Kafka-
bureaucrat. Result: his
testimony, his witness
borne of Nuremberg —
blood in the South, in
Babi Yar — sit like bricks
on bookshelves, suitable
for libraries and court-
houses. And yet he wrote
a poem about a stray dog
who bonded with him,
rushed across a busy high-
way just to be with him,
and the poet’s poet re-
solved to keep him, even
buying him two burgers
at a fair. He lurched between
cold hard facts and a love
poem for a canine; no wonder
he self-published. Small price
to pay for writing what you like.
5 thoughts on "For Charles Reznikoff"
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Oh man, this is excellent, Lee. You paint such a picture of this man/poet, especially his lurching between cold hard facts and love poems. Those last two lines are stellar.
This is amazing.
And thank you for the introduction.
and love the closing two sentences immeasurably.
His poem ‘ subway’ just put me on the floor.
Thanks again for the intro.
Love it!
My lawyerly poet, you
extracted what’s real,
bleeding the love and
music, poeming like
paralegals, like Kafka-
bureaucrats. Your testi-
mony, the Holocaust
on trial at Nuremberg,
your words bloodied
by the South, by Babi
Yar, sitting like bricks
on bookshelves, suited
for libraries, the court-
house. Yet you poemed
about a stray dog who
bonded with you, who
rushed across that busy
highway just to be with
you, you resolving to
keep him, you buying
burgers to feed him at
that fair. How you lurched
between cold facts and
acts of love; so this is why
you self-published. Small
price to pay for writing the
things you had left to say.