"Doubting the Doubts" (by David Shapiro)

David Shapiro wishes Jasper Johns a happy birthday (May 15)!

Doubting the Doubts

A map dropped from my hands
And a voice cried, From now on
You will proceed in darkness.
Alas, he laughed, that is true.

Was it a black map?
I do not remember.

We all love clarity.
But you love darkness.
But darkness is clear.

We do not know now and we will never know.
White night, perilous night.

– David Shapiro

Comments

hi david -- thanks so much for your kind words about my poem and everything else. i was inspired to write that poem by the col review reunion a few years ago. maybe if i had gone to hilton's 68 event i would have written something else, but that did not happen in this universe. did you go? did you read? write?

also, what did you think of hilton's book? i thought the parts about his family were very affecting. toward the end of the book a little too much about the guy who was johnny appleseed or something. also: the girl with him in the picture on the cover. no one seems to know who she was but i recall marvelling at her breasts in those days long ago. i guess she was marianne, the spirit of the revolution. well, hilton has probably come as close as anyone ever will to writing our "sentimental education." that was the best time we ever had, eh?

i stopped working for the kabbalah oganization but i am still studying independently. for the rest of my life, i believe i may specialize in the incident of moses striking the rock.

i'm very grateful to david lehman for getting me involved with the poetry blog. since i spend a very large amount of time surfing youtube, i find a lot of stuff to post.

you have a new email address? tried the aol one and it didn't work.

onward, david. "man muss immer weiter gehen...immer weiter..."

mitch