dKos Open Mic and Poetry Slam! Happy Birthday Mr. Ferlinghetti Edition

Good evening and welcome to the dKos Open Mic and Poetry Slam!

The sign up sheet is down there in the comments. Step up and share whatever it is you want – a favorite poem (yours or otherwise), a short story, whatever you have tonight.

Tonight I will focus on a poet who celebrates his birthday tonight – his 88th birthday – Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

DISCLAIMER - In the wake of recent concerns over copyright and possible violations, it is asked that any works by published poets be properly sourced (to the best of your ability), kept to less than 250 words and posted within blockquotes.

Our goal with this series is to share poetry, both known and obscure, to share our love for the written word and those who compose them, and to open new eyes to works and poets that may be unknown or unfamiliar.

Born in Yonkers, NY in 1919, Lawrence Ferlinghetti is a giant of American poetry, not only for the words he wrote, but also for the words he made available to the world through City Lights Press – voices such as Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, Jack Kerouac and scores of others.

Ferlinghetti has fought battles against censorship in the courts, fighting to protect the publication of Allen Ginsberg’s "Howl", and has been a voice of the independent book store in the face of big box stores and internet retailers.

All that said, the true genius of Lawrence Ferlinghetti is in the words he has written.

For instance:

The World Is a Beautiful Place

The world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don't mind happiness
not always being
so very much fun
if you don't mind a touch of hell
now and then
just when everything is fine
because even in heaven
they don't sing
all the time

The world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don't mind some people dying
all the time
or maybe only starving
some of the time
which isn't half bad
if it isn't you

Oh the world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don't much mind
a few dead minds
in the higher places
or a bomb or two
now and then
in your upturned faces
or such other improprieties
as our Name Brand society
is prey to
with its men of distinction
and its men of extinction
and its priests
and other patrolmen

and its various segregations
and congressional investigations
and other constipations
that our fool flesh
is heir to

Yes the world is the best place of all
for a lot of such things as
making the fun scene
and making the love scene
and making the sad scene
and singing low songs and having inspirations
and walking around
looking at everything
and smelling flowers
and goosing statues
and even thinking
and kissing people and
making babies and wearing pants
and waving hats and
dancing
and going swimming in rivers
on picnics
in the middle of the summer
and just generally
'living it up'
Yes
but then right in the middle of it
comes the smiling
mortician

Lawrence Ferlinghetti
from Pictures of the Gone World
City Lights Books, 1969
source

After the passing of Allen Ginsberg in 1997, Ferlinghetti wrote two beautiful poems that illustrate the amazing connection between the two men, built through the battles they fought together and through the works the brought to the world. These pieces "Allen Ginsberg Dying" and "Allen This Instant" were published in the 2001 book How to Paint Sunlight. With every reading of these works (and I have read each dozens of times), I am moved by the power of Lawrence’s words and the love that went into their creation.

Allen This Instant

Allen this instant
was sitting by me
on this bed
just for an instant
or half an instant
there he was
next to me
silent
a fleeting presence
but not fleeting
between two breaths
Gone as I breathed
sitting next to me
silent and tender
a tender presence
Never sat
on bed with him
though once he kissed my lips
Now here close as a shadow
his sweet presence
the lush voice silent
not come to speak
to say hello or goodbye
I’d see him again
we’d see each other
once again
for a moment
always fleeting
ephemeral ash
on the wind blown
over some horizon
I haven’t known

see you again
dear Allen

Lawrence Ferlinghetti
from How to Paint Sunlight
New Directions 2001
transcribed from the text

Capable of creating works of poetic beauty, Ferlinghetti also allowed his wry sense of humor to guide his words as well.

Library Scene, Manhattan

In the New York Public Library
in the men’s john
there’s a lot of marble pews
with a lot of guys in there
praying that everything
will come out all right
One guy looks like Samuel Gompers
plotting another strike
Another looks like FDR
like he’s deciding
to announce a New Deal
Another is maybe the slumming bottom-line editor
of some publishing conglomerate
whom someone sent out to see
what a real book looks like
Another is a nobody off the street
who was snoozing on a park bench
until he heard Mother Nature call
Along with a ragged clergyman
who also felt the call
Another looks like a little Mafioso
about to sing
if he doesn’t have to go
to Sing Sing
Another looks like the crazy captain
of this motley crew
with his funny fisherman’s hat askew
hiding loose screws
And now of a sudden
there’s a great flushing a great rushing
thru clandestine flues
And the whole crew
in this listing freighter
laden with all the culture of the world
sailing on together
through the postmodern weather

Lawrence Ferlinghetti
from How to Paint Sunlight
New Directions 2001
transcribed from the text,
with apologies to the poet
due to loss of original format

And with that, I will open the mic to whomever wishes to step up and share. But first, I want to wish Lawrence a happy birthday, to 88 long years and to many more hopefully to come. I hope to someday have the opportunity to meet Ferlinghetti, to shake his hand, to thank him for all he has brought the world. But, for tonight, these simple words will have to serve that purpose.

Thanks Larry. Happy birthday.

Peace,
Darrell

The floor’s open, let’s hear some words...