How lonely it seems
at the center, after all
hands have cleared
the table.
In response to Via Negativa: Raw.
Chef in love
This morning Mr. Coventry and all our company met at the office about some business of the victualling, which being dispatched we parted.
I to my Lord Crew’s to dinner (in my way calling upon my brother Tom, with whom I staid a good while and talked, and find him a man like to do well, which contents me much), where used with much respect, and talking with him about my Lord’s debts, and whether we should make use of an offer of Sir G. Carteret’s to lend my Lady 4 or 500l., he told me by no means, we must not oblige my Lord to him, and by the by he made a question whether it was not my Lord’s interest a little to appear to the King in debt, and for people to clamor against him as well as others for their money, that by that means the King and the world may see that he do lay out for the King’s honour upon his own main stock, which many he tells me do, that in fine if there be occasion he and I will be bound for it.
Thence to Sir Thomas Crew’s lodgings. He hath been ill, and continues so, under fits of apoplexy. Among other things, he and I did discourse much of Mr. Montagu’s base doings, and the dishonour that he will do my Lord, as well as cheating him of 2 or 3,000l., which is too true.
Thence to the play, where coming late, and meeting with Sir W. Pen, who had got room for my wife and his daughter in the pit, he and I into one of the boxes, and there we sat and heard “The Little Thiefe,” a pretty play and well done.
Thence home, and walked in the garden with them, and then to the house to supper and sat late talking, and so to bed.
His oven
is calling to him
like the clamor of things to a thief:
a well-done supper
in bed.
Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Monday 31 March 1662.
[poem removed by author]
In response to Via Negativa: Filigree.
Claw
(Easter day). Having my old black suit new furbished, I was pretty neat in clothes to-day, and my boy, his old suit new trimmed, very handsome. To church in the morning, and so home, leaving the two Sir Williams to take the Sacrament, which I blame myself that I have hitherto neglected all my life, but once or twice at Cambridge. Dined with my wife, a good shoulder of veal well dressed by Jane, and handsomely served to table, which pleased us much, and made us hope that she will serve our turn well enough.
My wife and I to church in the afternoon, and seated ourselves, she below me, and by that means the precedence of the pew, which my Lady Batten and her daughter takes, is confounded; and after sermon she and I did stay behind them in the pew, and went out by ourselves a good while after them, which we judge a very fine project hereafter to avoyd contention.
So my wife and I to walk an hour or two on the leads, which begins to be very pleasant, the garden being in good condition.
So to supper, which is also well served in. We had a lobster to supper, with a crabb Pegg Pen sent my wife this afternoon, the reason of which we cannot think; but something there is of plot or design in it, for we have a little while carried ourselves pretty strange to them.
After supper to bed.
in my old suit
to take the sacrament—
hand of a lobster
Erasure haiku derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Sunday 30 March 1662.
Filigree
At the office all the morning. Then to the Wardrobe, and there coming late dined with the people below. Then up to my Lady, and staid two hours talking with her about her family business with great content and confidence in me. So calling at several places I went home, where my people are getting the house clean against to-morrow. I to the office and wrote several letters by post, and so home and to bed.
ice in the tent—
a lace where I lean
against the bed
Erasure haiku derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Saturday 29 March 1662.
Sums
The tree in the garden
has not yet received news of spring—
stubs of limbs and branches, remainders
of polynomial division.
*
In the living room,
a small pink light radiates.
I place a cube of ice
in the orchid tray.
*
The cold that returns
at night reminds us:
all the work we do
is always here.
In response to Via Negativa: Abstract.
Song for Steadfastness
Every Monday the sweet
bean curd vendor comes down the street.
No one would want to rise again
if not for his visit.
How long will he keep us
faithful to the days?
The city rains down coins
of bitter dust.
We cover our bowls
with our hands,
coming and going
from dawn to dusk.
In response to Via Negativa: Raw.
Hanging
(Good Friday). At home all the morning, and dined with my wife, a good dinner. At my office all the afternoon. At night to my chamber to read and sing, and so to supper and to bed.
Good Friday
at home with my wife,
a good ham to read to,
supper-to-be.
Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Friday 28 March 1662.
Codex
The agent called and asked me if I had a preference. I was asked to turn the knob one way for weather and another way for the time of year. At the end of the interview period I returned the cardboard box containing flash cards and brochures, only keeping back the ones that most audibly vibrated in my dreams. The first showed a stone chapel at the end of the world. The second had a fire pit whose flames were made of curling wind. The third held the bones of tiny fish and birds; they snapped open like umbrellas then caught on the edges of the sky when I released them to the air.
Raw
Early Sir G. Carteret, both Sir Williams and I by coach to Deptford, it being very windy and rainy weather, taking a codd and some prawnes in Fish Street with us.
We settled to pay the Guernsey, a small ship, but come to a great deal of money, it having been unpaid ever since before the King came in, by which means not only the King pays wages while the ship has lain still, but the poor men have most of them been forced to borrow all the money due for their wages before they receive it, and that at a dear rate, God knows, so that many of them had very little to receive at the table, which grieved me to see it.
To dinner, very merry. Then Sir George to London, and we again to the pay, and that done by coach home again and to the office, doing some business, and so home and to bed.
wind and rain
we settle one by one
at the little table
Erasure haiku derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Thursday 27 March 1662.