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Unread 04-30-2018, 06:51 AM
John Isbell John Isbell is offline
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Default Zbigniew Herbert's prose poems

I've just discovered this series. Here's the first:

"Violin

A violin is naked. It has skinny little arms. Clumsily it tries to cover itself with them. It sobs for shame and cold. That's why. Not, as the music reviewers say, to make it more beautiful. That's simply not true."


John
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Unread 05-01-2018, 04:55 AM
John Isbell John Isbell is offline
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And here is my favorite Francis Ponge prose poem, from "Le Parti Pris des CHoses":

LES PLAISIRS DE LA PORTE

Les rois ne touchent pas aux portes.

Ils ne connaissent pas ce bonheur: pousser devant soi avec douceur ou rudesse l'un de ces grands panneaux familiers, se retourner vers lui pour le remettre en place, - tenir dans ses bras une porte.

Le bonheur d'empoigner au ventre par son nœud de porcelaine l'un de ces hauts obstacles d'une pièce; ce corps à corps rapide par lequel un instant la marche retenue, l'œil s'ouvre et le corps tout entier s'accommode à son nouvel appartement.

D'une main amicale il la retient encore, avant de la repousser décidément et s'enclore, - ce dont le déclic du ressort puissant mais bien huilé agréablement l'assure.


Cheers,
John
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Unread 05-02-2018, 11:26 AM
Julie Steiner Julie Steiner is offline
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[Never mind]
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Unread 05-02-2018, 02:44 PM
John Isbell John Isbell is offline
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Here's Ponge in my English:

The Pleasures of the Door

Kings don't touch doors.

They don't know that happiness: to push before you softly or roughly one of these great familiar panels, to turn toward it to put it back in place, - to hold in your arms a door.

The happiness of seizing at the belly by its porcelain knot one of these high obstacles to a room; this rapid mano a mano through which an instant with progress stopped, the eye opens and the entire body adjusts to its new apartment.

With a friendly hand he holds it yet, before pushing it back decidedly and closing himself in, - which the click of the strong but well-oiled spring agreeably assures him of.


PS Julie, your mailbox is full...

Last edited by John Isbell; 05-02-2018 at 02:47 PM.
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Unread 05-02-2018, 03:55 PM
Julie Steiner Julie Steiner is offline
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Thanks, John! Much appreciated.
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Unread 05-02-2018, 04:15 PM
John Isbell John Isbell is offline
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No problem!

Cheers,
John
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