OF BTI]'|6 l|UI,I TROUI1968

OF BEING NUMEROUS

1

'fhcre :rrc thing\We livc l l lr()ng'ltrtcl tc'r sec thenrIs tr> knorv oursclvcs'.

()cctrrrencc, a part()f :rn inflrritc scries.

The srrcl rrrrrvcls;

Of th is urrs to lc lA t.rle of our u"ickeclrtess.It is not t:>ur wickeclrrcss.

'Yott renrenrber th:rt olt l torvu \\,c wcr)t to, lrrtt l \\1e s:lt irr thcruirccl rr ' inclou'. rrncl u'e tl ictl trr irn:rgirre th:rt ue bclorrrlccl tothose tintes-lt is c' le.rcl end it is not clcrrcl..rncl v()u crlnr)()tirnlr-I ine cither its l i tc or its c' lerrth; t lre c.rrth sl.rcrks rrncl t lrc srrLr-rnrutcler s;rc;rks, the Sprirrg coll)es trrrcl ortly obscurcs it- '

2

So sp<>ke of the cxistencc of th i r rqs,Arr nnrrrlr irrrr-lelrble p:rrtt lrcorr

Absolute, brrt they srryAric1.

A ci ty of t l tc t 'orPtrL. t t iot ls

()F r tElNG NUMEROUs 163

GlassedIn drear.ns

And inrages-

And the pure joyOf the nrineral fact

Tho it is ir.npenetrable

As the world, if i t is n.ratter,Is intpenetrable.

3

The enrotions are engagedEntering the ciryAs entering any ciry.

We are not coevalWith a localiryBut rve inragine others :rre,

We encounter thern. ActuallyA populace flowsThru the city.

This is a language, therefore, of New York

4

For t l rc pcople of th,rr f lowAre new, the old

GEORGE OPPEN / NEW COLLECTED POEMS ()F BEING NUMERoUs 165

New to ase as the younllTo youth

And to their clwell ingFor which tl.re tarred rooli

Ancl tl.re stoops and doors-A world of stoops-Are petty alibi arrd satirical rvitWill not serve.

J

The gre:rt stoneAbove the riverln the pylon of the briclge

'1 U75'

Frozen in the rroonlishtIn the frozen air over the footprth, conscioLrsness

Which has nothing to g.rin, which awaits nothing,Which loves itself

6

'We are pressed, pressecl on each other,We rvill be told at onceC)f anything that hrppens

And the discovery of fact burstsIn a paroxrysnt of enrotionNow as always. Crusoe

'We say was'Rescued' .

So we have chosen.

Among days

Having only the forceOf days

Most simpleMost difhcult

Obsesed, bewildered 'Whethea as the inreDsity ofseeing increrses, onelr disrance

By the shipwreck fronThenr, th€ people, docs not :rho increase'

, I know, ofcourse r know, I can enter no other phce

we have chosen the meaning Yet I am one ofthose who fro nothing bur nr^ni way or

thought md one ofhis dialects and whar has happencdL'r oe'ng nunrenous.

Have made poetry

ITo dream ofthat beach

Anot Jdti For the sake ofan instant in the ryes,

The love of fateThe absolute snguhr

The unearrhly bondsOf rhe singular

Perhrps blasphemous.Which is the brighr lighr ofshipwreck

Slowly over islands, destiniesMoving steadily passAnd change 10

In the rhin sky Or in that light, New artsl l)ithynDrbi.. rudienlcc as- tisrsl

Over islands But I will listen to a nun,I will listen to :r nuD. and wheD I

r67

Phyl l is-not rrco-cl i rssic,TI le qir l ' .s t tat t tc is l ) l ty l l is-

Clorrrins horrrc fl-orn her first jolr( ) r r t l re [ r r r r in t I te I r . r lc c iv i . l l l tc l ' i ( ) rAtrrong those Pgepls, the srnall t 'krt>rsC)pcnin{r on the nicht irt thc curbHcr heart, she tolcl nre, strclclenlr, ' t ight \,vith hrrppirrcss-

So snr l l l a picture.A spot of l ight on tlte ctrrb, it cruul()t clenrcrrr.r r.rs

11I roo r) in love down ther<'with thc rrecn

it is ,/r'rt light And dre square shbs ofp.NeDrcntSeeps anlvhere, a light for thc tines

To trlk ofche house and the neighborhood .ur.l the docksID which the buildingsStarid on low gromd, thejr Pedhents Arrcl it is not arCJu* above the harbor

spe:rk I wil l sperk, tho he wil l tr i l urcl I wil l teil. tsut I wil l

l isten to hinr speirk.Tlte sirt l i l l ir lg oia crorvd is nothirls-

\\,ell, nothir)g btrt the l lrany that we :lre, but nothing.

(Jrbrrn art, art of the cit ies, ert of the yotlng irl the cit ies-

The isolateci nratt is deacJ, his wor'ld arotl l lcl l .r ir-rl exi.rausted

And he fails! He fails, that ntec.l itative nrarl! And indeed they

cal) l lot 'belr ' i t .

Absolutely inrnrobile,

Holloq available, you could enter ally building,

You could look ftortt any lvirtdow

One nright wave to hinrselfFr-onr the top oi the Enrpirc Stlte i3uilcl ir lg-

t2

' l r r these explal tet i ( )ns i t is presrrnret l thrr t : rn cxpcl ic ' , , .1"*subject is one occasiorr of a sensi t iv t - ' react ion r() i l r r : lc tur l lworld.'

the r-airr f:rlls "t

t lrat hacl not been t.t l l ingand it is the sanre u'orlclSpeak

Ifyou canThey rrr:rde srnall olrjcctsC)irvood lncl thc boncs of f ish

Speak And of stone.They' ta lked,

GEORGE OPPEN / NEW COLLECTED POEMS

Frrnil ies trlkec'I.Tlrcv ' s l thercr l in cotrnci lAncl spoke, cirrryirrg ob-jects.They lvere cr-eclulotrs,Their thin{-Is shone itr the forest.

They rvcre pirt iel)tWith thc rvclrlr l-T[ris r,vil l l levcr return, nevcr,Unless Ir:rvirts reachecl their l inrits

Tlrey rvil l treqirt over, thrrt is,()rrcr encl ovcr

t3

tun:tblc to begirtAr t l tc l r t 'g i r t r r i r rg. t l tc l i r r rur t , r t t 'Fiurl cverything elreldy' here.Thet' rrre shoppcrs,(lhoosers, juclges; . . . Arrcl here the brtrtrrlis rvit l 'rout issue, :t clcld encl.

They develo;rArgtrnrent irr orcler to spcak, thev beconrcturrreul, unreal, l i fe loscssolicl it l ' , loscs e\tel)t, b:rseball 's tht' ir genre

bccrruse b.rsebll l is nc'rt rr ganre

btrt rrn rlrgllurellt rrncl clif lcrcuce of opiniottntrrkes the horse rlccs.T'hey rrre shosts th:tt crtclanger

One's s<>ir l .Thcre is chrngeIn rrrr rt irThrrt srrrells stl le, thcv r,vil l corrrc to the encl()f ln errtFirst of .rl l peoplesArrcl one tu:rv Itc'rttor,rbly kcep

/ COLLECTED POEMS

His distanccIf he can.

l4

I cannot cver) n()wA ltosether clise'r rqase rnyselfFronr tlrose rnen

With whorrr I stoocl i r r ernpleccruents. i r r n less tcnts,I r r hospr imls lncl shecls arrd hicJ in thc sul l i tsOf blrrstcd rorrds irr rr ruirrecl cour)tr)/,

Anrong therrr ntlny nter-rMore c:rpr l ' r ]c t l ) . l l ) I -

Muykut arrcl rr serqeuntNanrecl Hcal1,,Th.r t l ieutcrr . r r r t r r lso-

Hou' f ir lqct th.rt? Hon, t:rlkl ) is tant ly oi 'The l )eople '

Who are that f irrceWithin the rvallsOf c i t ies

Wherein their cers

Echo l ike l r is toryI )orvn rvallecl rlvenllesIrt u'hich ()ne crl l l l lot spcak.

OF BEING NUMEROUS t7l

15

(lhorr.rs (anrlroqyrrotts) : ' Fincl nte

So that I rvil l cxist, f irtcl nry Ilrtvel

So tlut it wil l exist, f lrrcl nrv rripples

So that thev n,i l l exist, f intl cvery h:rir()f nrv trell,v, I rtt.tt soocl (or I rrnr bacl),Fincl trrc.'

He waltts to s:tyHis l ife is real,No one can say rvhy

It is not easy to spe:rk

A ferocious nrunrblins, in publicC)f rootless speech

18l6

'... he rvho rvil l l)ot \\r()rk sltrrl l trt lt eat, It is the air of atr.city,rincl orrly he u'ho wrts trotlblecl shall f incl rest, A' event ls ordiraryrrucl only l 'rc n'ho descettcls into the nether rvorld shall As a l)resident.

rcscue his belovccl.lrrcl ortlv hc rvho urtshelthes his knifi: sl.rall be siverl A plu're of srroke, visrble at a dist:rnce

Is:utc rrg: t i t t . He wlro rv i l l not rvork shrr l l t lot eat . . . In which people bur ' .but he rvho rvill lvork sh:rll sive birth to his clwtl firther.'

t9l7

Nor,v in the helicopters the casual wil lThe t-oots of rvorc'ls Is atrociousl) inr in thc strbrvays

Insanity in high places,Therc is nrrrdtress itr t l te trutrtbcr If i t is true we lrlust do these thir.rgs()f the l ivinr-I 'We

'rust cllt our throats'A stute ()i i l l irtter'

The fly in the bottleT'hcrc is rroboc'lv here but tts chickens

Insane, the insane flyAnt i -or t to lo

Which. ovcr rhc ( ' i ryIs the bright l iuht of shipwreck

GEoRGE OPPEN / NEW COLLECTEI) POEMSoF TJETNG NUMERoUS 173

20

-They ewait

Or which is the sarne thing,That we do not altogether nlatter.

) ')

Clarity

ln the sense of transparence,I don't ntean that much can be explained.

Clariry in the sense of silence.

War, and the news 2lIs wrr

There can be a brickz As always In a brick wall

The eye picksTl-rat the juices lrlay flow in therrl

Tho the juices l ie. So quiet of a SundayHere is the brick, it was waitins

Great thinss have happened Here when you were bor'On tl.re earth lnd given it history, arnlies

Ancl the ragged horcles tlrovitrs arld the passiolls Mary-Anne.Of that death. IJtrt who escaPesDeath

Anrortg these ridersOf the sub'nvay,

They knowI3y t.ro'nv as I know

Failure and the guiltOf farlure.As in Hardy'.s poenr of Christnrls

23We nright half-hope to firld the' anirtlals

In the sheds of a tratiotr 'Half freeKneeling at rnidnight, And half mad'

And the jet set is in.Flrnr aninrals, The vocabularies of the fortiesDraft aninrels, beasts lor slattshter Gave way to the JetStreamBccause it would ntean they have fbrgiven us, And the media, the Mustang

GEORGE OPPEN / NEW COLLECTED I 'OEMS

Ar-rd the dealsAnd the people wil l chlnge ag:rirr

Under the soilIn the blind pressureTl-re lunrp,EntityOf sttbstanceChrrlrges alsit.

In tr,vo dozett roott-ts,Two dozerr rpartntel)tsAtter the parryThe girlsStare at the ceil ingsBlindly as they are fi l ledAncl then they sleeP.

24

In this natiot-t

Which is in some sense

Our honre. Clovetrarrt l

The covettant is

There shal l be peoples.

25

Strirnge that the youngest people I know

Live in the oldest buildinss

Scatterecl about the ciryIn the clark roonrs() f ' t l re p.rsr- . r r rd t l rc i r r r r r r is l ' :ur ts.

The blackI{cct l r rstr l . r r btr i ld i r rcsOf the irnnrigrants.

They are the chilclren of the nricidle class-

'Tlre pure products of Anrerica-'

I nve stingThe :rncient buildings

Jclstlc each other

In the half-forgottell, that ponderous businessThis Chirrese Wall.

26

They carry nativenessJir a conclusionln suic ide.

'We want to tlefendLinritationAnd do not know how.

Stupid to say nrerelvTI1:lt poets should not lead their l ivesAnrorlg poets,

They have lost thc rueraphysical senseOf the future, they lcel drenrselvesThe end of rr chrrin

GEORGE OPPEN / NEW COLLECTED POEMS OF BEING NUMEROUS L77

( ) i l ives, s i r rq le l ivcsArrtl u.e krrorv thrtt l ivcsArc sirrglc

Artrl cattrtot t lcfbrrclThc nrctaphvsic()rr rvhich rcst

I l lc Lr()Ul l r l . l f le\

()f otrr clistrrrtccs.We rl'littt to sltv

' ( lorrrr t ron sctrse'

Arrd crrt t t tot. Wc str l trcl t l t t

Thrrt t lenirt l() f de:rth that prrvecl t l re' ci t ics'

l) :rvcci thc cit ics

( le nerr t iorr

For gettcrrt t i t t l t l t t t t l thc 1:r lvetrtet l t

Is f i l th,v rts the cort ' ic lors() f the pol ice.

Flr>rv shal l otte ktt t trv . l gcl)t ' r .r t i () l l , . l l lc\v qetteret iot l?

Not by the i leu' () l l thel l l ! Wl.rere t l-re earth is t . l t t lst t t l r t t

Ancl the u'ott t tcis t t t t tett t lecl l rr t t l the voices confirsecl,

Tlrerc is the helcl t l f t l tc t l rovit tg colt l t l r tr

Who if thev crrtrrt t t f lnt l

J l tcir gct icrrt t l t-r t t

Withcr in thc i r t t l r t r l ; l r res

Ancl the strpply clepots, strpplyirrg

I rrcl cvut t t ot.r j ccts.

Street larlps shine on the parkedSteadily in tl.re clcar nieht

It is trr-re the great nrirreral silenceVibrates, hunrs, a processCornpletinu itself

In which the windshield wipers()f the ('rrs . lrc vrsiblc.

The power of thc nrind, theI)ower and rveightOf the rnind whichIs not enough, it is nothingAnd does nothing

Aqainst the r.ratural world,Ilehernoth, white whale, beastThey wil l say and less than beast,The tatal rock

whiclr is the wor ld_

O if the streetsSeenr bricht enough,Fold within foldOf residence . . .

Or see thru waterClearly the pebblesOf the beachThru the water, flowirrilFror.n the ripple, clelrAs ever they have been

ctrs

I

IGEORGE OPPEN / NEW COLI-ECTEI) I 'OEMS OF BEING NUMEROUS 179

27

It rs iLtl lcult ltow to speak oi poetr\ '-

about those who hrrve recognized the r'.tttqe of choice or th()se

'uvho have lived within the lifb tht'y "vere born to-' lt ts tltlt

precisely a questi()rl of protirndiry br-rt a clitli'rettt tlrcler oiexl.rc-

rience. One woulcl have to tell what hlppens in a l itb' rvhlt

choices presellt thetlrselves' rvh:rt the worlci is fbr us' rvhlt l.rrr1.t-

pens in time, r,vhat thought is in tl-re cotlrse of .r hfe ltrcl there-

fore what art is, ancl the isol.it ion tlf t l-re actual

Iwotr lc lwal l t totalkofroornsanclofwhl t t t l reyl t lokott tot t : t t tc lof b:rsertrents, the rough rv:rl ls belrir.rg the nlerks of the fir l ' trrs'

the old r.narks of ,nvood irr the cc-lrrcrete. such solitttde rts u'e

ktrow-

ancl the swcpt floors. Sortreone, :r worknlrrn bearirrg rtbtltrt hirt l,

feeling abotrt hint that peculiar worcl l ike e dishonorecl frrt l ler-

hood has swept this solitary f-it>or, this profbuntllv hit lt lcrl

floor-such solitude as lve knor,l,.

One tnust l lot coll le to feel thrrt he has e thotlsrlncl threacls

in his hands.He nrust sonrehow see the one thirlg;

This is thc level o i , r r t

Thcre are clther levels

Btrt there is no other level of lrt

28

The lightOf the closecl pages' t ightly closecl, packecl aslitrst errch otl lcr

Exposes tl-re trew drrY,

7 COLLECTED POEMS

The rarrou,. frishterrinq l i{-ahtBefore :r strnrise.

29

My dauqhtcr. nry clltrghter, t 'hrt()f l iving?

I c:rrrnot jtrclge it.

We secnr caughtIn rerl ity toqcther nrv lovell 'I ) lush ter,

I have rr clatrghterBut no chi lc i

And it wils rlot preciselyHappiness r',e prorrriseclOtrrsclvcs;

We say happincss, l.rappiness rrnclSrrtisficrl.

Tho tlrc house orr the lor,r, l:ruciOf the ciry

Catches the drl.vn l iqht

I cln tcll nry'sclf, errcl I tell nrvselfC)nly rvhat u'e all bclieveTrue

Ancl in the sudc'len \ ':)cl lullOf t inre . . .

clrn I slv

tre r)ot

OF IJEING NUMEROIJS 1R1

. . . is it not one witnesses-'

In fbrr the roots grip It is ennoblinsI f one thinks so.

l)ownward l{-to know is nobleArrd beget

The bafTling hierarclries It is ennobling'

Of fether and chil i l

32As of leaves on their high

Thi' twigs to shield us ()nly th.rt it should bc be:rutiful,Only that it should be beautif ir l,

Fronr tinre, frottr oPet.rTinre C), bearrtiful

30

Behind their house, behind the back porch

Are the l itt le woods.She rv.r lks i r r to thclrr sot l lc t i l l lcs

And rrrvaits the bircls :rnd the deer.

Looking up she sees the blue briuht sky

Above the branches.lf one had been borrr here

Horv could one belicve it?

l\ed grec'n blue-the rvet lipsLaughine

Or the curl of the "vhite

shell

And the beauty of wonren, the perfect tendonsUnder the skin, the perfbct l i fe

That can twist in a floodOf desire

Not tr-uth btrt each othcr

The bright, bright skirr. l 'rer hands waverirrgIn lrer incredible need31

Becrruse the kttorvrl arrd the uttknorvtl 33

Touch,

Which is onrs, which is ourselves,This is otrr jubi latron

.CND'E ^DDFN

/ NF\I / ( ] . . } I , I ,F,( ]TED POEMS()F r lElNG NUMERoUS 183

Ex.rltecl lncl:ts olc' l as thrrt tnrthfirlrrcssWhich i l lunr iues spcech.

34

Like thc rvirrrl in the trces :rncl the bcllsOt-the proccssiort--

Hr>rv l irrht thc rrir isArrcl thc e:rrth,

(,hilclrerr anc'l the qrrrsslrr the rvincl :rncl the voices of nren lrncl 'nvonren

Tir be crrrried rrbotrt thc sun forer. 'er

Arrrorrg the bcrrutit ir l p.rrt iculrrrs of the brc'czesTl'rc prlrers blorvn abotrt thc sic' lervrrlks

' . . . . r t Ferr t r r le Wi l l to hic le the Inost cvic lerr t ( iod

Uncleruc()vert . . . '

Surely inf in i tcness is thc rrrost evic lerr t th i r rg in the

Is it the crollr lge of "vonren

To ussurrc ever1, !11..1.n of blirrclness thenrsclvc's

I n truclers(l.rlrving l ifc, thc voLnrq \\ '()nicll

Carryrnu l ifcUrr . r i . lc . l i r r t l rc i r . r r r r rs

rvorlcl

In the streets, u'eakerred bv tor> rnuch neeclOf too l itt le

And life seeming to depend on wollren, burdened anddesperate

As they are

35

.. .ordef ineMan beyond rescueof the impoverished, solvewhole cit ies

before we can faceagainlorests rrrd pr.rir ies . . .

36

Tho the worldIs the obvious, the seenAnd unforeseeable,That rvhich one call lorNot see

Which the first eyessaw--

For usAlso cachMan or \\/orlranNear isKnowledge

GEORGE OPPEN / NEW COLLECTED PoEMSc)F I ]EING NUMEROUS

Tho it nray be of the noonisOwn vacuiry

-ancl rhe nraci, too, speak only.rncl peoplc rrlkirrg--

And if rhose pathsC)f the nundCrrnnot breek

ol corrspiracy

It is not thc wild glareOf the worlcl even rhat one dies in

37

'. . . approached the rvindow as if to

The boreclonr which disclosedEverything-

I should have written, not the rairrOf a nineteenth century day, but the motesIn the air, rhe dust

Here sti l l .

What have rve argned about? what have we

Thickening the air?

Air so thick with nlyrh the words unluckyAnd.gortd lurk

Float in i t . . .

done?

To'see' thenr?

No.

()r sces nlotcs. arr i rorr

C)f consequence

Stil l , at rhe nrinci\ enclRelevant

38

You are the lastWho wil l know hinrNurse.

Not know hinr,He is an old rnan,A patierrt,How could one know hirn?

You are the lastWho wil l see hinrOr touch hinr,Nurse.

39

Occurring ,neither for self

Nor for rruth'

The sad nrarvels

ruesh, l inks

jl!

I

fGEORGE OPPEN / NEW COLI-ECTED POEMS

In the least credrble circurnstance,Stornr or bornbardnrc'nt

Or the roonr of a very old nran

40Whitnran: 'Apr i l 19, 1 8(r4

The capitol grows upon one in tinte, especially as they have gotthe great f igr.rre on top of it uowand you cal) see it very well. Itis a sreat bronze figure, the Genius of Liberty I suppose. It lookslvonclerful toward sundown. I love to go lnd look at it.The strrrwhen it is nearly down shines ort the headpiece and it dazzlesand glistens l ike a big star: it looks quite

cur lous . . .

HISTORIC PUN

L:r pctitc vic,:r vourrg rrrerr crrl lecl it l :rter, it h:rc.l beerr thel.rst thing oflerecl

In that way,A rv:rv of beh:rvirrg,:l \\, i ly of beirrs irr puirl icWhiclr ivc I : i , 'kct l

l f thcr-e rvus tloubt it rvas dor.rbt of Irinrsclf

Firrclirrg a forc'eIrr the cafcs rrncl bistros

Force of the fhrui l i : r r r t r rc l f r r r r r i l i : r rsThe firrcc of c:rsc

Thcy *;rther ou the stelrs of Slcri,-Cocur,(irelt cxru'cls, sitt ing <lr t lre stepsTb u,atch rhc surrser arrtl rhe Iights-

I spelk of totrrists. I lut rvh:tt we see is there

Firrcl .r r,r,'orcl fbr ourselr,esC)r rve rv i l l havc nothi l ls , nei tht , r f r t i th rror rv i l l , the rv i l l

T i r t r t 'hct l [y r l r t ' d.rzzl( . -

Spl i r ru touchcs t l tc lJut te Clrrurnorr t ,Evcrv urornirrg tlte chilclren irplre:lrIn the perks,l ) . r is is [ rc.ut i f . l arrd l . t r icr<rus, the lc l 'es of cr .cr l . t rcc i r r thc

city nrove irr t lre rvlrrcJThe sirls h:rve be:rutiful t lr ighs, berutif ir l skirts. ri l si ' . lare

c()uf:rgc-

Sernite: to flrrt l :r uly for rnvsclt-.

/ xrcw/ -nl

I FarFD P()EMS