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Oh that dream, still returning, Max. But you needn't (ever) apologize.... Doug On 26-Sep-06, at 9:20 PM, Max Richards wrote: > Soft Sift > > Asked urgently to lecture > to a colleague's students > (though years since I retired) - > on Gerard Manley Hopkins, > > there I stand in an unfamiliar room, > a little bothered to see my colleague > sitting there out front, > and nothing in my hand - > > not even a copy of Hopkins. > Now what's the name of the big poem again? > Exiled nuns...the Channel... > storm...shipwreck...drownings... > > I set out to tell them how our poet > read the report in the morning's 'Times'. > I'm about to mention the Jesuit Order > and his asking permission to write, > > when noting the blankness > in the faces that I'm facing > brings me awake, in bed at home. > Sorry, Father Hopkins. > > What triggered it in part > is noticing some recent book title: > Soft Sift. Oh, in an hourglass, was it? > Once I'd have recited line on line. > > > Max Richards > Doncaster, Melbourne > > Wednesday 27 September 2006 > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > This email was sent from Netspace Webmail: http://www.netspace.net.au > > Douglas Barbour 11655 - 72 Avenue NW Edmonton Ab T6G 0B9 (780) 436 3320 http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/ Latest book: Continuations (with Sheila E Murphy) http://www.uap.ualberta.ca/UAP.asp?LID=41&bookID=664 Where philosophy stops, poetry is impelled to begin. He was a man, far away from home, biting his nails at destiny. Susan Howe