Barry Spacks
Known mainly as a poet/teacher and painter, Barry Spacks has two novels out, various stories and three poetry CDs.
He teaches at UCSB, was the first Poet Laureate of Santa Barbara, and has published nine poetry collections. His tenth, Food for the Journey, arrives from Cherry Grove Collections in August 2008.
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The Tunnel
At Shakertown retreat land in Kentucky
I wandered the grounds and entered a tunnel
where trains once ran beneath a hill.
The tracks were gone; rutted grass
gave over to dirt a short way in
with brightness ahead, but still it was scary,
for nothing could stop the thought of a train
come pounding toward me. My pace quickened,
out to a trackless, sunlit field,
nowhere to go but back in, the train
roaring from behind me then,
an irrational traveler under a hill
with laughing glances over the shoulder,
feeling a portent of something unseen
that rushed in at speed to destroy me.
10 Minute Poem
Owing Jordan a 10-minute-poem
I packed up to send back the new black shoes
that were trying to execute me, then wrote
(8 minutes to go) a sympathy note
to a very sad student, and still from our 10-minute
rule for e-mailing back and forth
had 2 minutes left, so I thought I’d describe
the great Jewish breakfast I love to cook
(where else can you pass off a recipe
for matzoh-brei as poetry?).
Okay, first soak some matzoh in water
till soft, then drain, crack eggs (take a pause
for a gaze at those yellows, Jordan) beat
your eggs with softened matzoh and fry
in olive oil till the sizzle fades
then eat with salt or honey, young poet,
and go forth into the world to do
somebody a goodness. 10 minutes over.
A goodness, you hear?
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