Perhaps a Farewell to NYC

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After this, I don't know that I'll post any more about my recent trip--you never can tell. But I found this interesting.

Up early one morning and I took a walk and sat by the river near the docking pier for the Water Taxis--one company from Jersey City, one company from NYC. And this is what I saw painted on the external bulknead of one of the NYC Waterway boats:

"Look boats of mercy embark from our heart at the oddest knock"--Kay Ryan

And here, you can see a photograph of it.

I don't know who Kay Ryan is, but I really loved the thought.

And here a review that makes me think I must find more Kay Ryan.

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I like the quote, and the poem, Chinese Foot Chart, that it is taken from. I'm not sure I could explain why, but it brings to mind some of Alexander Pope's poetry (e.g., "eternal sunshine of the spotless mind"). I'm also feeling a much more distant connection with Don Marquis, although I have even less explanation for that (for some reason "The Song of Mehitabel" keeps popping to mind).

I can say that poems like this make me feel as though someone is trying to point out that reality doesn't fit in this world, as though we've been squashing ourselves into a two-dimensional comic strip. The poet's message is, look, can't you see that we are so much more than this? But the message itself doesn't really fit either, hence the juxtaposition of oddness and truth.

Just FYI -- she is the new poet laureate.

Though I had never heard of her before that.

http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2008/08-127.html

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This page contains a single entry by Steven Riddle published on August 11, 2008 8:32 AM.

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