Rascal (86)

The prior voyages brought older voyagers.

Rascal (85)

Rascal recalls life before entering the harbor.

Rascal (84)

By 1979, Rascal pondered remaining in the New York City. His thoughts developed into the lines of a poem, "Harbor".

Lyric

RAScal's lieder inspired lyric... Lyric

Rascal (83)

In 1973 Rascal concluded his "Lyric".

Rascal (82)

Where?

Waterways: Poetry in the Mainstream v.33n.6

Subscribers, contributors and friends are receiving their copies of the new issue of Waterways: Poetry in the Mainstream (v.33n.6).

Rascal (81)

RAScal (80)

Rascal (79)

Rascal hoped to cut through the inertia of his era.

Rascal (78)

Rascal's plea is heard across the decades.  Does the support network exist for those who wildly seek to go beyond the constraints of local convention? 

Rascal (77)

The romantic's plea is a lament.

Rascal (76)

Influenced by Heine's early 19th century songs of regret, Rascal voiced his second thoughts...

Rascal (75)

Rascal believed in free public art.

Rascal (74)

Rascal addressed his Manhattan...

Rascal (73)

In his 20's, Rascal worried about the end of youth and beauty...

Rascal (72)

Beginning under the melancholy influence of Heinrich Heine, Rascal begins his poem with the global sadness. 

Rascal (71)

Heine’s lieder that began, "Schöne Wiege meiner Leiden/Shönes Grabmal meiner Ruh," inspired the opening lines to Rascal's lyric:

Rascal (70)

Rascal was living on the upper west side with the actress, Goghi Lee, and was inspired by reading a book of Heinrich Heine's poetry.

Rascal (69)

Rascal attempt at an inverse exploration resulted in this. Ready? Get set... GO

Rascal (68)

Into life's embrace...

Rascal (67)

But...

Rascal (66)

Rascal doubted that anyone in pain could arrive at a perspective beyond good and evil.

Rascal (65)

Is the hammer the wrath of God?   Are the readers at the end of Paradise Lost?

Rascal (64)

Trying to make sense through imagery, Rascal wondered about the anger in the world.

Rascal (63)

Rascal's lines expressed ambiguous expectations.

Rascal (62)

We turn in a circle, a sphere, an orb, or a droplet.

Rascal (61)

Rascal explored the mystic's perspectives.

Rascal (60)

The emotional response to reading is like meditating on a drop of blood. 

Rascal (59)

Perspectives on hope and despair.   Talith is the plural.  What are they doing mending talith?  These minuscule Messiahs?

Rascal (58)

In 1975 Rascal considered the atomic dream.

Rascal (57)

Boredom.  Could poetry waken the sleeper?

Rascal (56)

We judge others and incarcerate.

Rascal (55)

Rascal worked hard on reversals and revisions.

Rascal (54)

There is a transition from words to pyramids, then columns, then arches, and then helices.  Does "build" proceed parallel to "go"?

Rascal (53)

The word "go" lead to the waters.  Coming is a double entendre.  It leads to other births.  The reference to fluid lines is ejaculation, geometry, and the speed of light.

Rascal (52)

Walking around in the aftermath of the storm, and seeing the damage of the broken branches and uprooted trees, I revisit the poem, Go, with a greater conviction to stay.


The "splintered lips" refer to the lips of a vagina.  Since they announce the birth of a word, they are also the lips of a mouth.  The splinters are from the previous lines which described roots (wood) spread like legs. 

Rascal (51)

Gems appear to be moss.  The moss clings to roots.  The roots look like legs.  

Rascal (50)

In 1976 Bantam Books was located at 666 5th Avenue. MOMA was around the corner, a fine place to visit during lunch or tour with a curator. You can feel pine needles on a Cezanne canvas.

Rascal (49)

Influenced by a tour of MoMA, given to him by a curator named Fred, Rascal wrote.

Rascal (48)

While working for a midtown publisher, Rascal was introduced to a curator at MoMA.

Rascal (47)

Tears at accepting the tragic limitations.

(And so, in what amounts to a philosophical vaudeville performed by Gary and Janice, we get sketches depicting the savagery of elites, the pettiness of proles, the foolishness of dreamers. Then the traits get reassigned. Soon, the battle lines are drawn between those, of whatever class, who would try to save the world but fail — the comedians, that is — and those who won’t try at all: the tragedians.

 So for me, at least, the most convincing and powerful moments came when the performances aligned with the gravity of the premise. Gary’s speech about the power of art to create new realities was one such moment for Mr. Lane: You could feel the hope in the hyperbole he spoke of.  Jesse Green is the co-chief theater critic for The New York Times reviewing Taylor Mac's play Gary: a sequel to Titus Andronicus. -- also see Adler on Tragedy and Hegel and acceptance).

Rascal (46)

Laborer and the dreamer/poet both perspire.

Rascal (45)

What is the scent of man?  What dog will know the odor of humanity in the future?

Rascal (44)

Here the poet ties William Blake to contemporary science.
 

Rascal (43)

Rascal's poem was inspired by an encounter at the Roundhouse in London.

Rascal (42)

Rascal read "Words and Water" at the English Pub.   Nina was in the audience. 

Rascal (41)

Rascal's window opened onto the yard, to which only his neighbor and the cat had access.

Rascal (40)

In the winter of 1978 Rascal wrote about about passionate pacifists.

Rascal (39)

In the winter of '78 Rascal was invited by Daniel Berrigan to sit in on his prison literature class in the South Bronx. Under discussion was Martin Luther King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail.

Rascal (38)

Rascal continued to pen his thoughts on Freddy gone.

From 1942-46, Fred Iskowitz (Irwin) served on four ships: U.S.S. Ranger, U.S.S. Card, U.S.S. Antietam, and U.S.S. Darby.

Fred Irwin (1921-74) was awarded a Victory Medal, American Theater Medal, European African Middle Eastern Area Medal, Asiatic Pacific Area Medal, and Presidential Unit Citation.

According to his sister, Fred was pushed overboard. He felt his years of service were marred by anti-semitism on board the boats and changed his name from Iskowitz to Irwin in 1947.