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The
Nostalgia of the Poet - Giorgio de Chirico, 1914
-
(To be performed with a
blindfold)
I am a blind poet but I
am not Homer
I am your blind poet and
painter full of
fantastic phrases and
images
I am painting the
landscape of my soul
and the soul of mankind
as I see it
I am giving it a voice
I am singing folksongs
about the workers
I am singing about the
downtrodden masses
and the rich on their
fat asses
I am the painter who
feels
with his fingers
I am the blind
seeing-eye poet
I see what you can't see
I eat well and drink
well
and dream of great epics
I am your postmodern
pastmodern multimedia
artist
I am the most avant of
the avant
I'm site-specific and
totally
conceptual
Even the greatest
critics have been
baffled
by my profundity
I once knew Andy Warhol
I've slept with you know
whom
And I'm a fast-speaking
man
I am your deconstructed
language poet
your far-out poet
full of ecstasies and
visions
your wandering workshop
poet
your university poet
with tenure
your Buddhist quietest
poet
I go on poetry reading
tours
where everything is paid
for
I hear everything
and it's grist to my
mill
I use it all
to make great sound
poetry
or great concrete poetry
that no one can see
through
Life is a real dream
and I am dreaming it
And I've got it all in
my head
the Song of Humanity
and the Song of
Inhumanity
I'll paint you a
profound picture
an action painting
a gestural painting
nothing but pure gesture
I'll write you a far-out
song
of common people
If I take off my mask
I'll see the real world
for the first time
But I won't take it off
It fits too well
It's a perfect fit
It's too comfortable
And I've got my career
to think of
my life to think of
We only live once
and living very well is
the best revenge
Get your own blindfold
You can't have mine
You'll have to face the
world
without it
And anyway I'm too young
to die
I'm an American
and Americans don't die
We're the conquerors
We're the new Roman
emperors
We're conquering the
world
with global capitalism
I can see it but you
can't see it
It's the Invisible
Empire
And democracy is
capitalism
No more poor people
No more starving and
dying
No more Huddled Masses
In our empire
The rising tide lifts
all boats
If you've got a boat
If you've got a boat
If you've got a boat
....
-
-
ϟ
On April 28, 2001 Lawrence
Ferlinghetti received
the Los Angeles Times'
Robert Kirsch Award for
Lifetime Achievement. He
recited "Blind Poet" on
that occasion. He is the
author of
"How to Paint Sunlight:
New Poems" and the
founder of City Lights
Bookstore in San
Francisco.
Fonte:
Los Angeles Times,
2001
6.Out.2014
Publicado por
MJA
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