TheBanyanTree: A parallel agenda

[John Bailey]

Friday January 7, 2005

A PARALLEL AGENDA

Reading and relishing a copy of the November 21 New York Times Book Review, 
a poetry issue kindly sent me by a reader, I've been dallying over the 
words, savouring every morsel. It's a treat that doesn't often come my way.

I see there's a new book of poems by Gary Snyder, just out in the US. 
Another rare treat. I shall keep my eye open for it to be published here in 
the UK, and grab a copy as soon as it appears on the shelves.

In the meantime, the review, a fine piece by David Kirby, primps and 
titivates my fancy, in much the same way that a sorbet readies the palate 
before the main course arrives.

There's much to savour here. Like the concept of poetry as an assortment of 
black marks on white pages that resides in the intimate space between the 
world and those who observe it.  In support, Snyder quotes and Kirby 
repeats a haiku by Issa which is new to me, and perfect:



         This dewdrop world
         is but a dewdrop world
         and yet --



Kirby goes on to report Snyder as saying:



         "That 'and yet' is our perennial practice."



and continues, to comment:



         From this standpoint, the poet's powers are best used to
         describe, with a few strokes, what's always been out there
         and, if we can keep the dark forces at bay, what will
         always be out there, even after our own brief moment has passed.



I'm happy with that. Except that when I sit and think about it, I'm not so 
sure about the sideline on the 'dark forces'. For me, what the poet 
describes, when he does so successfully, is independent of dark forces and, 
indeed, of our brief moment.

Ha hum. Whatever. There's enough meat in this single review to set any poet 
to thinking. And bristling, perhaps, at the assertion that "Yesterday's 
hippies are now grey-haired and prosperous and probably not reading much 
poetry."

A reasonably prosperous and grey-haired hippie of the faded type, I read 
more poetry now than I ever did. I like to be reminded now and again of my 
quest to express the most with the fewest strokes, however, so I shall 
forgive Kirby his diversions into a parallel agenda. Critics almost always 
inhabit a world of parallel agendas.


--

John Bailey   Lincolnshire, England

journal of a writing man:
<http://www.oldgreypoet.com>