Purveyors of fine poetry since 2003.
Original poetry, translations and videopoems by the authors of this blog. (See Poets and poetry for criticism, etc.)
It's what they ask for
when they want to know
what was cut, filled,
altered; removed, taken,
and how much. Trees do
what they do, with or
without witness. Water,
too, will seek its way
through stone. Method
is the preferred way
of building the record,
with language that holds
what it's given to carry.
But there are times
the record is more of
invention: a shift
in the shape of things,
the making of something
that will have no ability
to reply to a question.
Lay till 6 o’clock and then up, and after a little talk and mirth, he went away, and I to my office, where busy all the morning, and at noon home to dinner, and after dinner Pembleton came and I practised. But, Lord! to see how my wife will not be thought to need telling by me or Ashwell, and yet will plead that she has learnt but a month, which causes many short fallings out between us. So to my office, whither one-eyed Cooper came to see me, and I made him to show me the use of platts, and to understand the lines, and how to find how lands bear, &c., to my great content.
Then came Mr. Barrow, storekeeper of Chatham, who tells me many things, how basely Sir W. Batten has carried himself to him, and in all things else like a passionate dotard, to the King’s great wrong. God mend all, for I am sure we are but in an ill condition in the Navy, however the King is served in other places.
Home to supper, to cards, and to bed.
after mirth went away
I practiced my falling
one-eyed I understand lines
and how to howl
a keeper of any and all
thin places
Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Wednesday 13 May 1663.
Up between four and five, and after dressing myself then to my office to prepare business against the afternoon, where all the morning, and dined at noon at home, where a little angry with my wife for minding nothing now but the dancing-master, having him come twice a day, which is a folly.
Again, to my office. We sat till late, our chief business being the reconciling the business of the pieces of eight mentioned yesterday before the Duke of York, wherein I have got the day, and they are all brought over to what I said, of which I am proud.
Late writing letters, and so home to supper and to bed. Here I found Creed staying for me, and so after supper I staid him all night and lay with me, our great discourse being the folly of our two doting knights, of which I am ashamed.
I dress myself for minding
nothing now
pieces of yesterday
are all over
what I am late in let me
stay up all night with
Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Tuesday 12 May 1663.
~ for Drew
A train of thought might begin with overheard
conversation— for instance, on the next thing
in a line of recent decisions over which we
were not consulted, though these will have
a bearing on everything we're expected to do.
Then a colleague posts about getting to this
point in the semester and how it's been a journey
as it's always been, but somehow, each time gets
more lackluster. Lackluster, meaning a lack of shine,
a surface polished only by thoughtless repetition,
a dulling from slipshod use rather than intention.
Jaques uses the word in "All the World's a Stage,"
the same play that gave us gems like Sweet
are the uses of adversity. A fool's wisdom,
perhaps. And so he plays his part. To look
upon the hour as mere trial, the next car
on the train as just another clone of this one—
wheels on the rails and rumbling into the dingy
station because there's a schedule, and schedules
must be met or someone pays the price.
Now we toil in halls grown airless as balloons
from which the last bit of helium has been
extracted for a profit we'll never see.
Professing beauty and humanity in a time
distracted by speed and efficiency, stubbornly
we practice our own fools' wisdom, sit shoulder
to shoulder in a train lurching forward, ever forward.
Up betimes, and by water to Woolwich on board the Royall James, to see in what dispatch she is to be carried about to Chatham. So to the yard a little, and thence on foot to Greenwich, where going I was set upon by a great dogg, who got hold of my garters, and might have done me hurt; but, Lord, to see in what a maze I was, that, having a sword about me, I never thought of it, or had the heart to make use of it, but might, for want of that courage, have been worried.
Took water there and home, and both coming and going did con my lesson on my Ruler to measure timber, which I think I can well undertake now to do.
At home there being Pembleton I danced, and I think shall come on to do something in a little time, and after dinner by coach with Sir W. Pen (setting down his daughter at Clerkenwell), to St. James’s, where we attended the Duke of York: and, among other things, Sir G. Carteret and I had a great dispute about the different value of the pieces of eight rated by Mr. Creed at 4s. and 5d., and by Pitts at 4s. and 9d., which was the greatest husbandry to the King? he persisting that the greatest sum was; which is as ridiculous a piece of ignorance as could be imagined. However, it is to be argued at the Board, and reported to the Duke next week; which I shall do with advantage, I hope.
Thence to the Tangier Committee, where we should have concluded in sending Captain Cuttance and the rest to Tangier to deliberate upon the design of the Mole before they begin to work upon it, but there being not a committee (my Lord intending to be there but was taken up at my Lady Castlemayne’s) I parted and went homeward, after a little discourse with Mr. Pierce the surgeon, who tells me that my Lady Castlemaine hath now got lodgings near the King’s chamber at Court; and that the other day Dr. Clerke and he did dissect two bodies, a man and a woman; before the King, with which the King was highly pleased.
By water and called upon Tom Trice by appointment with Dr. Williams, but the Dr. did not come, it seems by T. Trice’s desire, not thinking he should be at leisure. However, in general we talked of our business, and I do not find that he will come to any lower terms than 150l., which I think I shall not give him but by law, and so we parted, and I called upon Mr. Crumlum, and did give him the 10s. remaining, not laid out of the 5l. I promised him for the school, with which he will buy strings, and golden letters upon the books I did give them. I sat with him and his wife a great while talking, and she is [a] pretty woman, never yet with child, and methinks looks as if her mouth watered now and then upon some of her boys.
Then upon Tom Pepys, the Turner, desiring his father and his letter to Piggott signifying his consent to the selling of his land for the paying of us his money, and so home, and finding Pembleton there we did dance till it was late, and so to supper and to bed.
a dog who got hold
of one word worried it
into another thing which was
the greatest piece of ignorance
a committee to deliberate upon
the design of a committee
bodies laid out
in a golden mouth
Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Monday 11 May 1663.
Dark oceans across which people are ferried
into captivity— five hundred faces blued
by water pierced by moonlight,
pieced together to form a vessel measuring
twenty-four feet
Even then the sea understands how many
could be lost at once to fire
or storms, in this way becoming souls
Out west, on a runway, a person jumps a fence
and walks directly in the path of Flight 4345
Air traffic control repeats the phrase
for rescuers to confirm the number of people
who might need removal or extraction
The grammar of archives, of our accounting—
more than just the language of the incident report
Dalamhati— grief of the deepest kind,
from the Malay root for interior, something seated
in the liver or the heart
Sorrow as more than affliction, because lodged
in the body
Rendering, meaning to portray or capture
a likeness in another medium, as when
an artist might render a portrait in oils.
Also, to make or cause; to tear apart or
lacerate. As in I am rendered speechless,
dumb with hurt, heart stricken at the edges
of what suffers but that I don't know how
to fix. Gristle and fat are rendered after
the slow boil and the skimming, as if
that kind of tending might soften bone.
I am afraid to do damage, even when the work
promises to be tender. Like gathering berries
that are ripe and ready— barely any resistance
to fingers plucking them off the branch, then
dropping them into a bowl held in the other
hand. Thick vines spill their unruly fragrance
from the trellis: that, too, can speak to grief.
(Lord’s day). Up betimes, and put on a black cloth suit, with white lynings under all, as the fashion is to wear, to appear under the breeches. So being ready walked to St. James’s, where I sat talking with Mr. Coventry, while he made himself ready, about several businesses of the Navy, and afterwards, the Duke being gone out, he and I walked to White Hall together over the Park, I telling him what had happened to Tom Hater, at which he seems very sorry, but tells me that if it is not made very publique, it will not be necessary to put him away at present, but give him good caution for the time to come. However, he will speak to the Duke about it and know his pleasure.
Parted with him there, and I walked back to St. James’s, and was there at mass, and was forced in the crowd to kneel down; and mass being done, to the King’s Head ordinary, whither I sent for Mr. Creed and there we dined, where many Parliament-men; and most of their talk was about the news from Scotland, that the Bishop of Galloway was besieged in his house by some women, and had like to have been outraged, but I know not how he was secured; which is bad news, and looks just as it did in the beginning of the late troubles. From thence they talked of rebellion; and I perceive they make it their great maxime to be sure to master the City of London, whatever comes of it or from it. After that to some other discourse, and, among other things, talking of the way of ordinaries, that it is very convenient, because a man knows what he hath to pay: one did wish that, among many bad, we could learn two good things of France, which were that we would not think it below the gentleman, or person of honour at a tavern, to bargain for his meat before he eats it; and next, to take no servant without certificate from some friend or gentleman of his good behaviour and abilities.
Hence with Creed into St. James’s Park, and there walked all the afternoon, and thence on foot home, and after a little while at my office walked in the garden with my wife, and so home to supper, and after prayers to bed. My brother Tom supped with me, and should have brought my aunt Ellen with him; she was not free to go abroad.
I put on a black suit
with white lining
and go out like bad news
from the city of whatever comes
so convenient on foot
so free a road
Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Sunday 10 May 1663.
When the little dog comes up next to me,
she growls and looks up. My friend laughs,
says that's the way her dog lets you know
she wants to be petted and made much of.
The dog has no trouble presenting her needs.
She doesn't wonder if it's the right time,
if someone will notice without being told.
Teeth and trust, offered in the same breath.
No requirement for further translation.
It's kind of amazing— there's no need
to carefully step around, pretending
what you need is no big deal, really.
No weird circumlocution, no profuse apology
before the request has even been communicated.
But then again, the dance we do is all our own.
It's how we say come closer, without using language.
Up betimes and to my office, whither sooner than ordinary comes Mr. Hater desiring to speak a word to me alone, which I was from the disorder of his countenance amused at, and so the poor man began telling me that by Providence being the last Lord’s day at a meeting of some Friends upon doing of their duties, they were surprised, and he carried to the Counter, but afterwards released; however, hearing that Sir W. Batten do hear of he thought it good to give me an account of it, lest it might tend to any prejudice to me. I was extraordinary surprised with it, and troubled for him, knowing that now it is out it is impossible for me to conceal it, or keep him in employment under me without danger to myself. I cast about all I could, and did give him the best advice I could, desiring to know if I should promise that he would not for the time to come commit the same, he told me he desired that I would rather forbear to promise that, for he durst not do it, whatever God in His providence shall do with him, and that for my part he did bless God and thank me for all the love and kindness I have shewed him hitherto. I could not without tears in my eyes discourse with him further, but at last did pitch upon telling the truth of the whole to Mr. Coventry as soon as I could, and to that end did use means to prevent Sir W. Batten (who came to town last night) from going to that end to-day, lest he might doe it to Sir G. Carteret or Mr. Coventry before me; which I did prevail and kept him at the office all the morning.
At noon dined at home with a heavy heart for the poor man, and after dinner went out to my brother’s, and thence to Westminster, where at Mr. Jervas’s, my old barber, I did try two or three borders and perriwiggs, meaning to wear one; and yet I have no stomach but that the pains of keeping my hair clean is so great. He trimmed me, and at last I parted, but my mind was almost altered from my first purpose, from the trouble that I foresee will be in wearing them also. Thence by water home and to the office, where busy late, and so home to supper and bed, with my mind much troubled about T. Hater.
the ordinary disorder of the poor
is impossible to conceal
I employ myself and give
whatever god all I have
without tears my eyes tell
the whole of a heavy heart
poor to the border
I have no stomach for
Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Saturday 9 May 1663.