IN OVERPLUS
What carried inside besides viscera
his own cooking
the muscle or avoirdupois memory
of thousands of performances
there is William Matthews' poem, of
pained porker being carried to his limo
after singing "Un Ballo in Maschera"
long ago, almost long ago, 1990,
even then a ruin in the making
legs and hip sockets incapable
the bulk grown too great
not withstanding pain anymore
but this morning the voice
pristine self, 1972,
La Boheme filling the car,
imperfections set aside.
Sent to oblivion the mistakes
set aside the stupidities
only the rising in the throat
only the rising in the throat.
KW/9-6-07
For Luciano Pavarotti, 1935-2007
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Ken Wolman rainermaria.typepad.com
We're neither pure, nor wise, nor good
We'll do the best we know.
We'll build our house and chop our wood
And make our garden grow...
Bernstein/Wilbur, "Candide"
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