WORKSHOP 3

A borrowed image of Neal and Jack

This week’s poem was written in a Juncture 25 workshop. I had set an exercise of writing a poem about a picture on a postcard. I also asked the poets to look below the surface and to reflect on more than what appeared to be going on.

I drew a photograph of Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady that I think I bought in the City Lights bookshop years ago. When I began to write I tried to ignore the obvious, that here were two of the most famous Beats.

For some reason I focussed on Kerouac’s canvas trousers. Yeah, I don’t know why either. They looked more worn than Neal’s new Levi’s. I wondered how they had become worn and this was my entry to the poem.

Face the camera,

the could-be brothers do not smile.

The light will not bend true,

more than this lens is flawed,

the photo blurs with more than age.

These are none-twins,

Yin and yang,

At the heart each is the other,

Everyone wants to be Jack,

And Jack wants to be Neal.

So take in the details;

note his canvas strides, frayed from

too many mediocre nights,

streets walked toward the dawn.

He will drown in the spotlight,

Run back to his mother-again.

Drink himself to death-at medium pace.

I had another line at the end, it reiterated that I knew how this ends and when we discussed the poem, after I read it out I discarded it.

I had re-ordered the lines of the poem a number of times. It is always worth placing the ideas of a poem in a different order-sometimes it makes for a better poem.

I am ending with two videos today. The first is Alan Ginsberg reading Howl. This, for me, is a magnificent poem. Deep, rich and powerful. I love to hear Alan reading it.

The second video is 10,000 Maniacs singing Hey, Jack Kerouac. Natalie Merchant is a superb song writer.

Have a good weekend.