[Alder Ellis]

The New Yorker's notorious bad taste in poetry suffers a blow in the current issue with the publication of a poem workshopped not too long ago on Eratosphere, Robert Mezey's "An Encounter in the Haight." If this keeps up, I'm cancelling all my other subscriptions. One really good poem a week is all I need.

I saved part of the original thread (from last July) & I see the poet has adopted Julie Stoner's suggestion of "which" for "that" in the last stanza. Score one for the workshop process!

Anyway, a great pleasure to find this poem here. Congratulations, RM.

[Tim Murphy]

AE, your post totally cracked me up. Yeah, this one slipped by Alice Quinn. Congratulations to our Master of Memory.

[Chris Childers]

I recall the poem, the thread and Michael Cantor's funny parody.

But it was not really so much lust,
as the attraction of two emptinesses;
we [hugged goodbye?] with delicate disgust,
omitting the obligatory kisses.

This is memorable speech. Congratulations to the New Yorker on this breath of cleaner-than-their-usual air.

Chris



[This message has been edited by Chris Childers (edited May 19, 2004).]

[Janet Kenny]

New Yorker poems don't show on the net and I cancelled my order when it passed $14.00 a copy in Australia. Would the poet let me see it here or is that pushing my luck?
Janet

[Terese Coe]

It's in the May 19 issue, which I haven't seen yet, but Congratulations to Robert!

Terese

[This message has been edited by Terese Coe (edited May 19, 2004).]

[robert mezey]

Thanks, Alicia, Terese, all of you. I'll paste it on
here, Janet, so you can look at it without having to pay
the NYer for the privilege. You're all quite right about
how wretched most NYer poems are; but I'm still glad to
be in it, since I might attract a few readers---inasmuch
as Arkansas won't make it available in bookstores, I have
to take whatever opportunity I can find. (I hope none
of the people who ripped it when it was out in public will follow it here.)


AN ENCOUNTER IN THE HAIGHT
circa 1968

What were they after all? Birds of a feather?
Two poets of distinctly minor make.
Whiskey and chance had bundled them together
In San Francisco at the Double Take.

She bit his neck and giggled in his ear—-
She had the thing desired, such as it is.
He checked his watch. She finished off her beer
And grinned, mixing her drunken breath with his.

There was a spare room in a nearby house
Where an old friend, he knew, would not deny him,
And there they steered posthaste—-nor did he guess
How soon, how long this act would mortify him.

But now he would not stop for anything;
Their clothes were scattered all across the floor;
His will was bent to his unburdening,
Beyond amendment. Needless to say more.

And what of her? By now she barely stirred.
A sign, perhaps, her ardor had diminished?
Her eyes were closed, she did not say a word.
Not that it would have mattered—-he was finished.

Poor body, that for a fugitive desire
Courts such humiliation and self-loathing!
Was it for this they grappled in the mire
And shamed themselves? For this they tore their clothing?

Those blind lusts—though it was not so much lust
As the attraction of two emptinesses—-
Embraced goodbye with delicate disgust,
Brushing aside the customary kisses.

Outside, the wind blew, it was cold and wet,
The bars were closing. Lust, which conquers all,
Had caught the writhing creatures in his net.
The Summer of Love was over; it was fall.




[This message has been edited by robert mezey (edited May 20, 2004).]

[Janet Kenny]

Robert,
I'm overwhelmed. Many thanks. I see why it broke through the barrier.
"the attraction of two emptinesses"
(I've edited back in to correct any suspicion that I was referring to poet and publication! ! No, I meant that's a stupendous line.)
Marvellously fashioned, dry, wise observations. Sardonic and funny. Pashes to ashes, lust to dust.
Janet


[This message has been edited by Janet Kenny (edited May 20, 2004).]

[Deborah Warren]

The poem stands out in very high relief against the usual New Yorker poetic fare which I [don't] read. Since I first saw it here, "Encounter" has kept growing on me. I speaks poignantly and memorably not just for the hippie era but for everyone with a similar experience.

[Richard Wakefield]

My issue came today, and this one's a keeper. My congratulations to Bob on a poem that will endure.
RPW

[Roger Slater]

Either the poem has changed since it was workshopped here, or I have, since it now strikes me as quite wonderful indeed.