Guy Conner's Blog, page 13

Variation on a Theme by Dante

My memory is a little shaky here (the variations were all written in 1965), but I believe the theme here comes from an English translation of La Vita Nuova (The New Life), rather than from The Divine Comedy. In any event, the lady in question is Beatrice.

Variations on a theme by Dante

1965

So surely does my lady wend,

That ne’er a moment does she spend

Pausing on the upward path.

So fair and lovely is her face

That I must risk a harmless trace

Of praise in my little rhyme.

Her virtue is beyond disput...

Variations on a Theme by Houseman

When I was twenty or twenty-one, I was very much under the influence of my college friends who were serious musicians, despite the fact that I was devoid of musical talent myself. When I grasped the idea that serious composers of music often took musical themes from other composers and played with them in their compositions, it occurred to me that I could do the same with poetry. And so it was that in my innocence and vanity, I took ideas and even phrases from the writers who were influencing...

In Defense of the Political Life

I’m not sure when I started calling myself a politician. The only political office I’ve been elected to was my high school student council. Although I described myself as a political consultant for many years before I retired, I never made much money at it. The simple fact is that it dawned on me one day that I was leading a political life, and that gave me the right to call myself a politician. I’m proud of the name, even though it’s right down there with tax collector in popularity with the...

Translations

And this is my second translation from Baudelaire’s Fleurs du Mal:

Very Far From Here

by C. Baudelaire

(tr. 1967)

This is the sacred chamber where

That much bejeweled maiden fair

Tranquil and ever-ready there

Raising her breasts to the skies aloft

Hears the drainpipes crying oft.

It is the room of Dorothy,

Then breeze and the water sing to her then

Their song of sighs contradictory,

Caressing her so soothingly.

From tip to toe, her delicate skin

Is drenched and rubbed so carefully

With sweet-smelling oil an...

Directly-elected Mayors

I have long been an advocate for directly-elected mayors for cities of any size, say greater than 25 or 50 thousand in population. For smaller cities, the usual practice here in California of having the mayor elected by fellow Councilmembers is okay, because the job is largely ceremonial. But the larger the city, the larger the budget, and the more influence a mayor can have over the daily lives of ordinary citizens, simply by setting the agenda and directing priorities. The mayor is the symb...

Money in Politics

It’s hard for most people to understand, but the only effective way to control the influence of money in politics is to limit the amount that can be spent. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court, using logic that escapes me, has said that you can’t do that. Given the political reality that the Burger Court’s mistaken decision is unlikely to be overturned in the near future, what is to be done?

It helps a lot if ordinary citizens contribute to the candidates of the choice. As my late wife, Pat Wiggin...

Light Verse?

I wrote the following in my twenties, and it has long been a favorite of mine. Is it light verse? Is it something more?

You decide.

A PLEASANT CHAT

I spoke to Death the other day.

We had a pleasant chat.

He told me he was on his way…

But, here, no more of that.

I offered him a cup of tea.

“Rest here a bit,” I said.

He stood a moment silently,

And then inclined his head.

“One lump or two?” I asked of him,

“None,” came the reply.

“I drink it black. Seriatim*.”

“I see, of course,” said I.

“My work is hard,” he...

My First Published Poem

From Copperfield’s Literary Magazine, about twenty years ago

Eskimo Pie

Lick.

Sliding along the slippery chocolate

Surface with the moisture drops.

Getting cold, getting nothing.

Crack.

Breaking through the black coating

To the white sweetness beneath.

Taking all the coat off, taking my time.

Drip.

Learning to live with sticky fingers,

Wiping dribbles with my tongue,

Learning to lick, learning not to bite.

The post My First Published Poem appeared first on Guy Conner.

Comments

Just a brief reminder that if you want to comment on any of my posts, please click “Contact.”

Thanks

The post Comments appeared first on Guy Conner.

Political Gossip

People in politics love to gossip; they love to speculate about potential candidates for public office and their chances for success. They also like to pass on rumors about the health, finances, chicanery, and even the sanity of officeholders.

And therein lies the rub: politicians are considered fair game these days; few seem to be willing to grant them the right to a private life. I say: if we are to have a representative government, if we wants our elected officials to be responsive to our n...