22 November 2007 - 12:20Anne Waldman with Pavla Jonssonova 2

[ Verses For The New Amazing Grace ]

The grace of all the bards who pen
Their words do transport me
Sweet vowels & consonants strengthen
Goddess Poesy’s legacyHeart-pearls roll off the poets’ tongues
Who chant in praise of Love
Troubadours blest with hearty lungs
Esoterics zapped from aboveSapho’s bite & Shakespeare’s wit
& Dante’s mystical climb
Dickinson’s rhyme, bearded Whitman’s breath
Are etched in genetic spineAnd if the planet cease to spin
Sad universe go silent, dark
Ancient poetry’s echoes will make a din
Rekindle the primordial sparkO I bow down to Christ’s thorny crown
All sacraments meant to heal
The Buddha’s smile, old Yaweh’s frown
And Allah’s consummate zealBut poetry’s a Goddess sent
To save a wretch like me
She strums the strings of life’s desperate edge
With her haunting melody.

Audio sample: Anne Waldman with Pavla Jonssonova performing ‘Verses For The New Amazing Grace’ by Anne Waldman (track in English and Czech)