Saturday, March 3, 2012

POETRY BREAK #7: "Taxi Suite" by Lew Welch




ALBIE'S NOTE: Today's Poetry break is from Beat poet and Arizona Native Lew Welch.  He once performed this poem live to a group of fellow Taxi drivers in a bar in Chicago.  When he was done they one of them told him: "I don't know if it's poetry or not, Lew, but it's definitely true to my life."  Here is a great poem any way you look at it:

Taxi Suite
(excerpt: 1. After Anacreon)


When I drive cab
I am moved by strange whistles and wear a hat



When I drive cab
I am the hunter. My prey leaps out from where it
hid, beguiling me with gestures



When I drive cab
all may command me, yet I am in command of all who do



When I drive cab
I am guided by voices descending from the naked air



When I drive cab
A revelation of movement comes to me. They wake now.
Now they want to work or look around. Now they want
drunkenness and heavy food. Now they contrive to love.



When I drive cab
I bring the sailor home from the sea. In the back of
my car he fingers the pelt of his maiden



When I drive cab
I watch for stragglers in the urban order of things.



When I drive cab
I end the only lit and waitful things in miles of
darkened houses.


LEW WELCH [1926-1971]




PEACE

4 comments:

Jen said...

Greetings Albie the Good from an old friend. I hope you're well sir.

Albie The Good said...

Hi old friend.

yup, I'm well. Buying my late Mom's house here and living with my wife and 2 of my kids [plus one stepson]

Always great to hear from ya, Jen. This blog is the only online thing I do. I post such vitally important blogs as the upcoming "Re=thinking BONANZA"... :)

Again... Good to hear from ya.

Albie

Unknown said...

Hi Albie nice poem I like it very much. You can hire our detroit airport metro cars at very low rates.

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing these nice lines. Detroit airport taxi rates are briefly mentioned here. You can easily manage your travel plan.