1919- to present

1919- to present

 

 

 

i was in City Lights Books

and saw an aging Lawrence F.

sitting behind the counter

with his spectacles

holding one of his old books in his hand

 

absorbed in a "Coney Island of the Mind"

i didn't want to disturb him,

he must be pushing 100 i thought as started to back away

 

he sensed me or had great hearing for his age

but he looked up and smiled,

asked if I was looking for anything in particular

 

i looked at what was in his hands and said

"yes, I'll have one of those"

and then drifted back to my younger days

and those days i spent

at that very Coney Island

 

yet...i don't remember if i had a mind then

probably not,

and poetry was not a glint in my pen

 

but kids are rarely genius

and writing grows as the heart ages

 

so I paid for my book,

thanked the man

and walked out of the store

feeling like i had just met a poem

 

that i could never write.

 

 

9/4/19

Reviews

[kentuck14]

Yes, read Coney Island many years ago . . . was instantly taken. J, this is a great memoir poem. Especially liked your ending.
T
P.S.
Just made a copy of this to hang by my desk. Thanks
T

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you, Tom,
j.

[Eilis]

I first discovered Ferlinghetti in Poetry Magazine several years back. They ran a feature on his artwork, and it wasn't until later that I discovered City Lights. He has lived fully and busily and is a great example to all of us who want to think of poetry as something beyond a moment.

I love that you end with the idea of 'a poem that I could never write.' Some things feel untranslatable, but maybe we only feel they are and in our efforts to convey that feeling we convey more than we meant or thought we could.

This poem has a grand sense of wonder in the everyday. Surprise is possible around every corner, and, also, there is always someone in their everydayness who can fill us with a sense of grandness without even being aware.

Love the dynamic and language of this, Jacob. We are all just works in progress looking up to someone who is a little bit ahead. That was my take away, anyway.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i love your take Eilis----yes, he has lived fully...when i first started writing poetry it was back in 1970--part of the inspiration for me to start was studying the Beats in a 1970 Modern American Poetry class...Lawrence was immediately one of my favorites...I picked "I am Waiting" to read in class...long poem but so intense and rhythmic...he is one of the greats...thanks for your visit and kind words,
j.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

And i also appreciate what you said about all of us being a work in progress...all the way to the end, we are that, for sure.

[Eilis]

You’re welcome, Jacob. My pleasure. I’m glad my ideas connected

[andrew mitchell]

Nice write J. Bookstores like minds go hand in hand, all having treasures within be it wisdom, a story, a life.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you, andrew.
j.

[Crowley]

I love that store, how cool would that be? Was just there earlier this year, then beers at Vesuvio. This was wonderful and filled me up with one of
My favorite areas of SF. You are so good.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind words, Crowley.
j.

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

The older we get the more wisdom and life experiences we collect help us to define our style of writing.
I know I have come a long ways from the basic poetry I use to write.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

we do get more wisdom...and so good if we use it...
you surely do my friend,
j.

[Lorry]

Woah! I think you just melted my head with this Jacob. Never been to coney Island, but I think my mind just went there.
Writing grows as the heart ages is a poem in itself, but then you surpassed that with your ending. My head is officially melted with the thought "did he think he had just met a poem he did write?"
I would say more, but my brin is drabbling out of my oar right now. Superb.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind words, Lorry,
j.

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

I love this Jacob I haven’t seen this freestyle write of yours and so used to your metaphors so I was pleasantly surprised loved it like a story thank you

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your words, Julie.
j.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

I had never heard of Ferlinghetti until I read this and having just read 'Don't Let That Horse' I am smitten thank you Jacob. This poem in itself is way up there in the gods as you reminisce and paint this encounter for us in only poetry you can write.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind review, John,
j.

[Chris Shaw]

I had to look up Lawrence F and read a couple of his poems, not being familiar with his work. I also found out about his connections with City Lights Books. I love browsing in book shops and found myself in an Oxfam book shop last weekend, browsing through some very old poetry books. Love the musty smells and coming across other people's notes scribbled in the margins. How true writing grows as the heart ages. Yes when we can reflect on life's experiences for our material. I like where I journied with this poem Jacob.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you so much for taking the journey with me in this poem, Chris...
Ferlinghetti was born in March of 1919, my dad was born in July of that same year...and Lawrence is one of my two favorite Beat poets along with Robert Creeley.
j.

[Chris Shaw]

Yes I noticed the date, born 100 years ago, and so close to when your Dad made his entrance. I'll have to read more of both of those poets. Expand my knowledge of American poetry :))

[jacob erin-cilberto]

has been one of my dreams, or bucket list wishes...to have my books on the shelf in City Lights Books...but alas...i doubt that will ever happen...
j.

[Chris Shaw]

Never say never Jacob:)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i love finding those notes as well...
nothing like the used bookstores....the one here in Carbondale closed...they wanted to sell it but no buyers..they had a cat in the store, Casper, who was so sweet and lived to be very old...he was a character and if we sat in the aisles looking at books he would visit...

[Chris Shaw]

I bet you miss that place. The second hand book shop in Henley sells music as well. Love that place. I wish they sold coffee there as well:)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I especially miss Casper the cat...he was part of the experience of going there....

[Chris Shaw]

Great name for a cat. You do love your felines don't you?

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I admit it...yes...

[Ted Kniffen]

There is nothing like a good book store to browse...especially the old ones...the smell...the hushed sense of
being in a sacred place...a place that readers know intimately.
My hometown had a Carnegie library where I would go spend hours...the building is still there...but it is no longer a library.
I remember my first poem...my father asked if I had written it...I guess he had his doubts.
They have grown increasingly better it seems and every now and then one pops up that's not too bad.

but I understand the feeling like "i had just met a poem
that i could never write."

Brilliant, j. well done.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you, Ted...i imagine your dad would be quite proud of your poetry now...
My dad had many doubts about my writing...first he thought it was a hobby that i should not take seriously....then when i first started getting published in magazines he wondered if those were good mags...he actually shared my poems with a published poet who taught at his college to see what that man thought of my writing.
so yes, i understand the doubting thing.
thanks for sharing and understanding.
j.