33 Lines For Ginsberg Poem by Sally Evans

33 Lines For Ginsberg

Rating: 3.5


Beatiest of beats let me address you
as you America. Let me bless you
charleychaplin poet that you are
like Ferlinghetti spreadeagled in air
like Sandberg in Chicago like Burroughs AWOL
as you build up your argument to howl
at the barriers and choices in all existence
your words' steam engines go the distance
freshness and fury and spirit all churned
together till somehow they have learned
to answer back as good as you get.
No one has shouted down America yet
and made America listen and pause.
You move inexorably clause by clause
explain to America where to get off
with a smile and a laff and a wave and a cough
as you smell the world 's most exciting flower.
I'd rather think of you in Morden Tower.
I like to think of you reading there
with your beat poet friends in the city where
I was trying so hard for the ordinary life,
not to be a poet and not to write,
(and about the same time in London town
Denise Levertov wandered around)
what, not be a poet, what a waste of breath,
what a crime, what a sin, what a loss, what a death
and whatever my country its state or time,
Ginsberg you gave me permission to rhyme,
for politics, passion came down to this,
the word was the sword, just word with an s,
a reason to dance and a mandate to sing,
a line to scribble and a truth to bring,
to throw your mantle over everything

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Gillian Commerford 24 December 2012

Very good.I think I like you better than Ginsberg

1 1 Reply
A.j. Binash 24 December 2012

A fitting tribute! I can see Ginsberg smiling as he reads this.

1 1 Reply
Leslie Philibert 24 December 2013

Like this, a poem of quality

1 1 Reply
Patricia Saunders 24 December 2013

Wonderful, Sally, simply wonderful. I held my breath as I raced through this poem on first reading, then read it again, slowly, savoring every word.

1 1 Reply
Eleonora Woods 25 December 2013

My God, this is a lovely lively dance to read. Thanx!

1 0 Reply
Khairul Ahsan 21 May 2015

A worthy tribute. 'No one has shouted down America yet and made America listen and pause. You move inexorably clause by clause explain to America where to get off with a smile and a laff and a wave and a cough' - Loved these lines.

0 1 Reply
Pranab K Chakraborty 24 December 2014

Excellent the tribute to a poet who sometimes reflected as a country. Ginsberg is a poetic personality who has been exposed by the ideas of revolting against conventional drawing poetry. Poetry and poets daily existence...tried to impose as same in his creation........ So clearly defined Ginsberg's spirit by another poet Sally Evans.....congratulate the poet of this 33 lines on Ginsberg.

0 1 Reply
Kim Barney 24 December 2014

Enjoyed this poem very much, and congratulations for having it chosen as poem of the day on Christmas eve for three consecutive years now!

0 1 Reply
Patricia Grantham 24 December 2014

Enjoyed this very informative write. Your observations and thoughts expressed so vividly. Very good.

0 0 Reply
Mapung Madura 24 December 2014

I like this phrase No one has shouted down America yet and made America listen and pause.

0 0 Reply
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Sally Evans

Sally Evans

London
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