NARRATIVES FROM THE HEBREW BIBLE




NEW STRATEGIES FOR MAKING LIFE HOLY
            --Zev Shanken

We grew out of that one
never out growing it
and that became problem's way
to practice.      Oh, Zev,
                        that you took me
to meet Jay Greenspan
sits with me this morning
before the Falls behind
the fence, calligraphy
emerging from mist,
that word Keats loved.

The first thing I do
            opening
If I Try To Be Like Him, Who Will Be Like Me?
is read Al Het, after looking a long time
at the cover, Beautiful Thing, looking at it
for a long time, asking for its permission
to open, asking its blessing as a way
            of asking permission to enter
                        perhaps opening myself
            as well, a ticket
                        to be transported--
   
       Bless my stupefaction

And the second thing--the second thing
is to look for is The Night Hillary Lost
overjoyed that first night you sent it
in an E-Mail--memorizing it and passing
it on to friends in letters--you've re-vised the poem,
            no matter--did you soften Leslie's words?
the thing is, you got out of the car and walked home.
I was so happy to find it on paper
            and in this beautiful thing of a book
and next-but-not-next, because
                        it all takes place
                                    in the same breath
is to look for Leonard Cohen, he did it better, but only better,
            and by now, I'm giggling like Karen does
                        so much better than me
                                    and I feel good

I won't be your shield. These are chilly days for Tel Aviv.
River-running poems. Your Ken Koch poem--
so much better than the man you call out at the Station.

            Israel, the idea was to become holy.

Your book is an archeological mound.

Jay Greenspan is inside your name, tattooed, on the cover.


from here and forever, 
Jim
13 February 2019


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