February 2018
John L. Stanizzi
jnc4251@aol.com
jnc4251@aol.com
Dick Allen was, of course, a nationally and internationally renowned poet, as accomplished in free verse as he was in myriad traditional forms – some familiar, some quite exotic.
But well beyond his poetic prowess was his kindness, his accessibility, and the absolute ease with which one could spend time with him. Dick was well-loved and will be missed tremendously by those who knew him, by those who knew his work, and by those who knew both. May he find peace.
A brief word on the “form.” Of course, these are not “really” sonnets, but I discovered, quite by accident, a few years ago, that when I was approaching a poem which I knew (before I started writing the piece) was going to be short, I thought I’d try the “sonnet form” (loosely) – in this case, an octave of eights lines….a sestet of six….and each line comprising five syllables. To my delight, I discovered that this little form helped to clarify and solidify for me the occasional poem that wanted to be short.
But well beyond his poetic prowess was his kindness, his accessibility, and the absolute ease with which one could spend time with him. Dick was well-loved and will be missed tremendously by those who knew him, by those who knew his work, and by those who knew both. May he find peace.
A brief word on the “form.” Of course, these are not “really” sonnets, but I discovered, quite by accident, a few years ago, that when I was approaching a poem which I knew (before I started writing the piece) was going to be short, I thought I’d try the “sonnet form” (loosely) – in this case, an octave of eights lines….a sestet of six….and each line comprising five syllables. To my delight, I discovered that this little form helped to clarify and solidify for me the occasional poem that wanted to be short.
KARMA SONNETS
for Dick Allen
1.
Utu Niuyama
- the unerring order of seasons
Garlic cloves huddle
in the frozen ground
gathering their warmth,
faint and just enough
to keep them alive
underneath the snow,
their shoots taken down
by the brittle wind.
But the seasons grind
monumentally
toward spring and light and
warm rain that wakes them,
and brings to life their
glowing pungency.
2.
Bija Niyama
- peculiar characteristics of certain fruits
Cousin Joe gave me
the tree, a rite of
passage, the mystique
of figs, ostiole
communicating
with the outside world,
breathing in the light
that will coat each seed.
But the sugary
fruit is much too much
to resist, and at
the dawn we’re left with
fruitless branches and
our hearts thick with seeds.
3.
Karma Niyama
-sequence of deed and effect is as natural and necessary
as the way of the sun and the moon
Sun and moon shall rise,
not as good and bad,
evil and kindness,
but as sun and moon,
inevitable
as such things can be
which are vanishing
toward their own level.
But desire is
the orchard in our-
selves, and shade the dark-
ness, the sequence of
what happens when we
dance for joy in space.
4.
Dhamma Niyama
-natural reason for being good
You sang, grounded to
your bed, surrounded
by songs and ideas,
sang bodhisattva,
sang and sang of the
shadowy places,
of flight and pursuit,
of stillness and songs.
But then you left us
with the illusion
of silence, and for
a moment we thought
you were gone, until
pages themselves sang.
5.
Citta Niyama
-arising and perishing of consciousness
Inquisitiveness
born of the nightmares
from which I wake you,
you ask Where is Gus
who has been dead now
for three months and can
only seem to be
sitting in the room.
But still you ask me
from your hood of mist
and all I manage
to say to you is
I can’t say for sure,
which is truthfulness.
Utu Niuyama
- the unerring order of seasons
Garlic cloves huddle
in the frozen ground
gathering their warmth,
faint and just enough
to keep them alive
underneath the snow,
their shoots taken down
by the brittle wind.
But the seasons grind
monumentally
toward spring and light and
warm rain that wakes them,
and brings to life their
glowing pungency.
2.
Bija Niyama
- peculiar characteristics of certain fruits
Cousin Joe gave me
the tree, a rite of
passage, the mystique
of figs, ostiole
communicating
with the outside world,
breathing in the light
that will coat each seed.
But the sugary
fruit is much too much
to resist, and at
the dawn we’re left with
fruitless branches and
our hearts thick with seeds.
3.
Karma Niyama
-sequence of deed and effect is as natural and necessary
as the way of the sun and the moon
Sun and moon shall rise,
not as good and bad,
evil and kindness,
but as sun and moon,
inevitable
as such things can be
which are vanishing
toward their own level.
But desire is
the orchard in our-
selves, and shade the dark-
ness, the sequence of
what happens when we
dance for joy in space.
4.
Dhamma Niyama
-natural reason for being good
You sang, grounded to
your bed, surrounded
by songs and ideas,
sang bodhisattva,
sang and sang of the
shadowy places,
of flight and pursuit,
of stillness and songs.
But then you left us
with the illusion
of silence, and for
a moment we thought
you were gone, until
pages themselves sang.
5.
Citta Niyama
-arising and perishing of consciousness
Inquisitiveness
born of the nightmares
from which I wake you,
you ask Where is Gus
who has been dead now
for three months and can
only seem to be
sitting in the room.
But still you ask me
from your hood of mist
and all I manage
to say to you is
I can’t say for sure,
which is truthfulness.
©2018 John L. Stanizzi
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