George
Spencer
© George
Spencer 2009
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Get
it right the first time
Rules are tools for fools…
n p vega. Letter of July 22, 2009
Alexander
Calder, 20th century neglected master, said a
piece is finished when the dinner bell rings.
Clearly he knew truth was ass-backward. Beethoven’s
Ninth is pretty good backward too. Maybe better?
Poor guy, a captive of his times, pressured by
the Imperial Court. He had to code his message
but he should have outfaced the constabulary and
started with the hosannas and cheering and work
back thru the darker parts, slogging thru piles
of hubris. It’s clear it’s music about
a type of joy that’s temporary. Myself I
always bear this in mind. Anyway it’s finished
when it’s finished, when it’s as good
read backward as forward. Some agree saying put
Molly Bloom at the beginning. Others disagree.
They say, when looking at Pollock or Gorky you
must always start in the upper right hand corner.
And
the truth about Beatrice: there she is in a short
skirt. I’m in the subway. It’s always
full of Dante’s people. She’s pulling
her skirt down to cover her panties and anyway
how can she, Beatrice you know, make a skirt the
size of a handkerchief into a curtain and I can’t
tell if it’s modesty or the metal seat’s
cold. How many eyes are glued on her? All the
scholars for sure. This one guy’s hitting
on her and Virgil’s the conductor so it
getting pretty heavy here so let’s climb
up a couple of circles and talk in peace in a
little coffee shop as the snow quiets the streets.
Then I’m going to my dermatologist. She
deals in surfaces. She has special lighting/magnification
equipment to get all the details…
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George
Spencer
© George
Spencer 2009
lives
in South America half the year. Obscene Richness
of Our Times, will be published in 2009 by Poets
Wear Prada Press. Recently started the first slam
in Ecuador and is translating poems of the winners
to be published as Slamming in Quito. He producer
of the weeklyThin Air Poetry Cable Show. Is co-host
of Phoenix Reading Series@ Bengal Curry and of
the ABC No Rio Sunday Poetry Series. Recent poems
are in Stained Sheets, NewVerseNews, Shabdaguchha,
poetz.com inaugural issue, Spinozablue and Fieralingue.
