I have been working on a new book and one of the poems
is on the broadside that I have.
But these poems have changed a little-- changed
the way I write a little.
And my friends tell me that they've
taken a curve of some kind.
I don't quite know what they are but what
that curve means but anyway.
Before I read them, I want to read a poem
that I wrote some time ago.
I don't know.
How many of you know Wallace Stevens's "13 Ways
of Looking at a Blackbird?"
OK, thank you.
This is "13 Ways of Looking at Hate."
Number one, the eyes smiled outside of their sockets.
Number two, looking into himself, he saw nothing.
Number three, he spilled his unbelief over the table.
Number four, crying she could not hear herself.
Number five, the wind gave resurrections
which the heart rejected.
Number six, gouge out your eyes for me he said,
they are too bright.
Number seven, I love what is furtive.
Number eight, the song came but could not sing.
Number nine, make hay while the dark shines.
Number 10, she gave him an apple.
Number 11, why couldn't he laugh, it was a good joke.
Number 12, down the avenue came another.
Number 13, what if they recognized each other.
Number 14, Hiroshima, the bomb blew bones
into silent kitchens.