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