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POEM OF THE DAY - "Constantly Risking Absurdity" by Lawrence Ferlinghetti


Constantly Risking Absurdity

by Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Constantly risking absurdity
and death
whenever he performs
above the heads
of his audience
the poet like an acrobat
climbs on rime
to a high wire of his own making
and balancing on eyebeams
above a sea of faces
paces his way
to the other side of the day
performing entrachats
and sleight-of-foot tricks
and other high theatrics
and all without mistaking
any thing
for what it may not be
For he's the super realist
who must perforce perceive
taut truth
before the taking of each stance or step
in his supposed advance
toward that still higher perch
where Beauty stands and waits
with gravity
to start her death-defying leap
And he
a little charleychaplin man
who may or may not catch
her fair eternal form
spreadeagled in the empty air
of existence

-

3 comments:

  1. Damn. Had never read this before and it WHAM! Just blew me away.

    The tightrope analogy is totally accurate, especially when it comes to public recital.

    Thank you for this fantastic poetry!

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  2. Viva la beats! Although Ferlinghetti is "somewhat" conservative by comparison to other more famous beats - he was instrumental in "beat awareness" by helping them publish through his Frisco bookstore, City Lights. Beats were to poetry what Velvet Underground was to rock.

    No rules except have a Feel, capture it, and share it.

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