Wednesday, March 25, 2009



Happy birthday, Lawrence Ferlinghetti!


I'm a few hours late, I'm afraid - (sorry, Lawrence) but that's what I get for not staying up all night, tracking Tweets. I checked first thing this morning. Fellow-ette had announced that it was Ferlinghetti's birthday. That reminded me of City Lights Books, and of San Francisco, the only city I've ever loved. And it reminded me of the day I first visited Poemhunter.com. It was this poem that I went to see. I bookmarked the site, and forever after, when I click there, this is the poem that greets me:

Don't let that horse

Don't let that horse
eat that violin
cried Chagall's mother

But he
kept right on
painting

And became famous

And kept on painting
The Horse With Violin In Mouth
And when he finally finished it
he jumped up upon the horse
and rode away
waving the violin

And then with a low bow gave it
to the first naked nude he ran across

And there were no strings
attached

Lawrence Ferlinghetti

I'm glad that I bookmarked that particular page.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Ferlinghetti's poems are fun, & I've always liked the one you chose. City Lights is a fantastic bookstore, tho my favorite SF bookstore was Green Apple out on Clement because they had used-- also Moe's in Beserkley, for the same reason.

Kathryn Magendie said...

Oh, love that! *smiling*

(and as to your comment - only the hearty, really hearty writers ever get more than one done *laughing* ...its a weird business!)

Sandra Leigh said...

John, I don't remember the other bookstores. One of these days, I must make a pilgrimage to San Francisco. It's been too long.

Kat, have I told you how great it is to see you back in the Land of Blog? I'm glad you like the poem.

Anonymous said...

i've always wanted to see City Lights. Maybe one day! Great poem!

Sandra Leigh said...

Hi, Kim. I hope you do get to see City Lights, and all the other wonderful things San Francisco has to offer. (big fan of The City, here)

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