Monday November 4
Claire Crabtree followed Thursday’s Denise Levertov posting (“Ancient Airs and Dances”) by writing to say: “My Study of Poetry students usually really like ‘O Taste and See’ I’ve noticed.” I read some about that poem and learned that quite a few of Levertov’s fans consider the book to which this poem gives its title a breakthrough work, perhaps the first Levertov collection that had caught their attention (1964). My own Levertov breakthrough book is The Freeing of the Dust (1975). Here’s the title poem from the 1964 book; thanks to Claire for pointing me to it.
A new month, Detroit elections, the city’s bankruptcy hearings continue, a bidding contest emerges for the ownership rights to restore the old Packard Plant, Tigers have hired a gold glove catcher as their next manager, one hour more to sleep over the weekend, leaves are turning. Have a blest day.
john sj
O Taste and See
The world is
not with us enough
O taste and see
the subway Bible poster said,
meaning The Lord, meaning
if anything all that lives
to the imagination’s tongue,
grief, mercy, language,
tangerine, weather, to
breathe them, bite,
savor, chew, swallow, transform
into our flesh our
deaths, crossing the street, plum, quince,
living in the orchard and being
hungry, and plucking
the fruit.
Denise Levertov