Comments for Public Poetry's Weblog

Comment on Leonard Cohen Sold by mrsportpsych

mrsportpsych — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:03:30 +0000

This was the first poem I wrote, that Irving Layton commented on.

WORDS

Are words our masters, or are they our slave?
A hopeless conundrum, but let me save
You from this riddle. For it is only speech,
Internal and externalized which requires the reach

For definitions of ideas, conceptions, and thought
Which are inherent to mankind, and need not be taught.
But words are not plastic, but rigid and fixed,
And it matters not how they are mixed,

they still must mean what the dictionary said,
and they structure the ideas that go on in your head.
So, until you slip their slippery noose
And really let your mind go loose,

to wander through emotion, sensation and space,
you’ll never understand, the meaning of grace.

Comment on Leonard Cohen Sold by Lawrence Klein

Lawrence Klein — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 05:13:25 +0000

“Irving Layton”, the lion roared,
“Is dogged by judicial hounds”.
With a gesture the eagle soared,
By phrase and verse he impounds

Their petty pernicious procession
In Solomon’s legal guise,
Plying their parasitic profession
Before his weary eyes.

Like Gulliver in Swift’s tale,
His victories were pyrrhic indeed,
He saw the thieves were put in jail
At the price of his Lawyers greed.

The “moral” of this story
To loosely use the word,
Is “justice is not blind”,
It’s functionally absurd.

What an unforgettable evening, Irving Layton regaled us with a saga of legal woes with three ex-wives!
After hearing my first poem Irving calling me: “An intellectual Ogden Nash”!
I then wrote him this poem, which is now in the “Layton Concordia University collection‘.

Comment on The Foundation for Public Poetry/ Fondation Poésie Publique by Steve Brewer Pres. WHS Alumni

Steve Brewer Pres. WHS Alumni — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:30:11 +0000

Greetings ! The WHS Alumni are strong supporters of your Foundation and in particular of the Leonard Cohen Poet In Residence program at Westmount High.

We are of course very proud of the program, our School and especially our illustrious alumni after whom this program is named.

Our School is the oldest English High School in Montreal, possibly Quebec, being in continuous operation since 1873, our Alumni since 1936 and Leonard graduating class is celebrating it’s 60th anniversary this year.

Let’s hope the Foundation can achieve an equally long record of success in the future !

Comment on Performers Spectacular by publicpoetry

publicpoetry — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 22:30:56 +0000

You’re welcome Penn, my pleasure. Registrations for the workshop are flowing in, still some openings.

Comment on Performers Spectacular by Penn Kemp

Penn Kemp — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 21:21:34 +0000

SO looking forward to this! Thanks to Jack for arranging all!

Comment on O Canada line selected by CV

CV — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:34:18 +0000

It sounds contrived, but yes, it adheres to the rule of PC.

Comment on O Canada line selected by Janice Kinch

Janice Kinch — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:34:28 +0000

Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this alteration of wording event for our national anthem. I agree that the choice is a good one. Good luck with the submission to Ottawa. Janice

Comment on O Canada line selected by Joanna Gosse

Joanna Gosse — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:44:35 +0000

As a singer I find “persons” with the same emphasis as “our sons” very awkward.

“in all of us command” is much better.

Comment on Birthday book launch report (1) by Marcel Soulliere

Marcel Soulliere — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:31:44 +0000

Thanks susancarol

this is literally my reaction that i wrote as i drove home from the book launch in toronto. i pulled off the highway to write it down before it was lost. i’m very happy you like it.

Comment on Birthday book launch report (1) by susancarol

susancarol — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:08:27 +0000

marcel, thank you

these now a prayer