Excerpt from "Collected Poems"
COLLECTED POEMS
By C. K. Williams
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Copyright © 2006
C. K. Williams
All right reserved.
ISBN: 0-374-12652-6
Contents
LIES [1969]
A Day for Anne Frank.............................................................3
Even If I Could..................................................................9
Saint Sex........................................................................10
The Long Naked Walk of the Dead..................................................11
In There.........................................................................12
Loss.............................................................................13
The Hard Part....................................................................14
The World's Greatest Tricycle-Rider..............................................15
The Sorrow.......................................................................16
The Man Who Owns Sleep...........................................................17
Before This......................................................................18
Dimensions.......................................................................19
To Market........................................................................20
What Is and Is Not...............................................................22
Hood.............................................................................23
On the Roof......................................................................24
It Is This Way with Men..........................................................25
Sleeping Over....................................................................26
The Other Side...................................................................29
Of What Is Past..................................................................30
Ashes Ashes We All Fail Down.....................................................31
Trappers.........................................................................32
Being Alone......................................................................33
Trash............................................................................34
Giving It Up.....................................................................35
For Gail, When I Was Five........................................................36
Don't............................................................................37
Just Right.......................................................................40
After That.......................................................................41
Ten Below........................................................................42
Tails............................................................................44
Sky, Water.......................................................................45
Downwards........................................................................46
Shells...........................................................................47
Beyond...........................................................................48
Patience Is When You Stop Waiting................................................49
Faint Praise.....................................................................50
Halves...........................................................................51
Penance..........................................................................52
It Is Teeming....................................................................53
From Now On......................................................................54
I AM THE BITTER NAME [1972]
I Am the Bitter Name.............................................................57
Keep It..........................................................................58
The Spirit the Triumph...........................................................59
Madder...........................................................................60
Poor Hope........................................................................62
Bringing It Home.................................................................63
The Little Shirt.................................................................64
Clay out of Silence..............................................................65
Innings..........................................................................66
Becoming Somebody Else...........................................................67
Hounding Mercy...................................................................68
What Did the Man Do with the Clouds?.............................................69
The Matter.......................................................................70
Refuge, Serpent-Riders...........................................................71
Flat.............................................................................72
A Poem for the Governments.......................................................73
Another Dollar...................................................................74
The Beginning of April...........................................................75
This Is a Sin....................................................................76
The Undead.......................................................................77
Then the Brother of the Wind.....................................................78
The Next to the Last Poem about God..............................................79
Acids............................................................................81
They Warned Him Then They Threw Him Away.........................................83
Ribbons..........................................................................84
The Rampage......................................................................85
The Nut..........................................................................86
Yours............................................................................87
The Nickname of Hell.............................................................88
Bad Mouth........................................................................89
This Day.........................................................................90
The Rabbit Fights for His Life The Leopard Eats Lunch............................91
Cellophane.......................................................................92
Inches...........................................................................93
The Sting........................................................................94
The Last.........................................................................96
In the Heart of the Beast........................................................97
THE LARK. THE THRUSH. THE STARLING. (POEMS FROM ISSA) [1983]
WITH IGNORANCE [1977]
The Sanctity.....................................................................117
Spit.............................................................................120
Toil.............................................................................122
The Last Deaths..................................................................124
The Race of the Flood............................................................127
Bob..............................................................................129
Bread............................................................................132
Near the Haunted Castle..........................................................134
The Cave.........................................................................136
Hog Heaven.......................................................................138
Blades...........................................................................140
Friends..........................................................................142
The Shade........................................................................144
With Ignorance...................................................................146
TAR [1983]
From My Window...................................................................157
My Mother's Lips.................................................................160
The Dog..........................................................................162
The Color of Time................................................................164
Flight...........................................................................166
The Gift.........................................................................169
On Learning of a Friend's Illness................................................171
Combat...........................................................................173
Floor............................................................................180
Waking led.......................................................................183
Neglect..........................................................................185
Still Life.......................................................................187
The Regulars.....................................................................189
Soon.............................................................................192
The Gas Station..................................................................195
Tar..............................................................................197
One of the Muses.................................................................199
FLESH AND BLOOD [1987]
I
Elms.............................................................................221
Hooks............................................................................221
Nostalgia........................................................................222
Artemis..........................................................................222
Guatemala: 1964..................................................................223
Herakles.........................................................................223
First Desires....................................................................224
The Dirty Talker: D Line, Boston.................................................224
Repression.......................................................................225
Como.............................................................................225
One Morning in Brooklyn..........................................................226
Self-Knowledge...................................................................226
Alzheimer's: The Wife............................................................227
Alzheimer's: The Husband.........................................................227
The Critic.......................................................................228
New Car..........................................................................228
Conscience.......................................................................229
Noise: Sinalunga.................................................................229
Anger............................................................................230
Even So..........................................................................230
Drought..........................................................................231
End of Drought...................................................................231
Easter...........................................................................232
Girl Meets Boy...................................................................232
Bishop Tutu's Visit to the White House: 1984.....................................233
Experience.......................................................................233
Resentment.......................................................................234
Mornings: Catherine..............................................................234
The Ladder.......................................................................235
War..............................................................................235
Greed............................................................................236
The Past.........................................................................236
Ice..............................................................................237
The Modern.......................................................................237
The Mistress.....................................................................238
The Lover........................................................................238
Religious Thought................................................................239
Carpe Diem.......................................................................239
Twins............................................................................240
The Telephone....................................................................240
Failure..........................................................................241
Crime............................................................................241
Fat..............................................................................242
Fame.............................................................................242
USOCA............................................................................243
Eight Months.....................................................................243
Junior High School Concert: Salle Rossini........................................244
The Prodigy......................................................................244
Souls............................................................................245
Regret...........................................................................245
Cowboys..........................................................................246
The Marriage.....................................................................246
Fifteen..........................................................................247
Sixteen: Tuscany.................................................................247
Thinking Thought.................................................................248
Jews.............................................................................248
Snow: I..........................................................................249
Snow: II.........................................................................249
Gardens..........................................................................250
The Star.........................................................................250
Kin..............................................................................251
Fire.............................................................................251
Dignity..........................................................................252
Fast Food........................................................................252
The Orchid.......................................................................253
The City in the Hills............................................................253
From the Next Book by (...)......................................................254
Native Americans.................................................................254
Work.............................................................................255
Gratitude........................................................................255
Will.............................................................................256
Pregnant.........................................................................256
Peace............................................................................257
Some of Us.......................................................................257
Two: Resurrections...............................................................258
Men..............................................................................258
Shame............................................................................259
On the Other Hand................................................................259
The Fountain.....................................................................260
The Latin Quarter................................................................260
Rungs............................................................................261
Normality........................................................................261
The Storm........................................................................262
Blame............................................................................262
Medusa...........................................................................263
Rush Hour........................................................................263
Philadelphia: 1978...............................................................264
Midas............................................................................264
The Park.........................................................................265
Travelers........................................................................265
Second Persons: Café de L'Abbaye.................................................266
The Lens.........................................................................266
The Body.........................................................................267
Racists..........................................................................267
The Dream........................................................................268
Dawn.............................................................................268
II
Reading: Winter..................................................................271
Reading: The Subway..............................................................271
Reading: The Bus.................................................................272
Reading: The Gym.................................................................272
Reading: The Cop.................................................................273
Reading: Early Sorrow............................................................273
Suicide: Elena...................................................................274
Suicide: Ludie...................................................................274
Suicide: Anne....................................................................275
Love: Youth......................................................................275
Love: Beginnings.................................................................276
Love: Habit......................................................................276
Love: Loss.......................................................................277
Love: Sight......................................................................277
Love: Petulance..................................................................278
Love: Intimacy...................................................................278
Love: Shyness....................................................................279
Love: Wrath......................................................................279
Love: The Dance..................................................................280
Good Mother: The Métro...........................................................280
Good Mother: The Plane...........................................................281
Good Mother: The Car.............................................................281
Good Mother: Out.................................................................282
Good Mother: The Street..........................................................282
Good Mother: The Bus.............................................................283
Good Mother: Home................................................................283
Vehicle: Conscience..............................................................284
Vehicle: Forgetting..............................................................284
Vehicle: Insecurity..............................................................285
Vehicle: Indolence...............................................................285
Vehicle: Circles.................................................................286
Vehicle: Absence.................................................................286
Vehicle: Violence................................................................287
III
Le Petit Salvié..................................................................291
A DREAM OF MIND [1992]
I
When.............................................................................305
The Vessel.......................................................................307
Allies: According to Herodotus...................................................309
Harm.............................................................................311
The Insult.......................................................................312
Child Psychology.................................................................313
Chapter Eleven...................................................................315
The Loneliness...................................................................317
Scar.............................................................................319
II SOME OF THE FORMS OF JEALOUSY
Signs............................................................................323
The Cautionary...................................................................325
Baby Talk........................................................................328
The Question.....................................................................330
Meditation.......................................................................332
Politics.........................................................................333
Pillow Talk......................................................................335
Ethics...........................................................................336
The Mirror.......................................................................337
The Call.........................................................................338
The Image........................................................................340
The Idyll........................................................................342
The Silence......................................................................343
Soliloquies......................................................................345
III
She, Though......................................................................351
IV A DREAM OF MIND
The Method.......................................................................365
Shadows..........................................................................367
Vocations........................................................................369
The Solid........................................................................371
The Charge.......................................................................373
The Crime........................................................................375
Shells...........................................................................376
Room.............................................................................377
History..........................................................................379
The Gap..........................................................................381
The Knot.........................................................................383
The Fear.........................................................................385
You..............................................................................386
To Listen........................................................................387
The Covenant.....................................................................389
Light............................................................................391
V
Helen............................................................................395
THE VIGIL [1997]
I
The Neighbor.....................................................................407
Dominion: Depression.............................................................409
Fragment.........................................................................411
The Hovel........................................................................412
My Fly...........................................................................413
Hercules, Deianira, Nessus.......................................................415
Instinct.........................................................................418
Time: 1976.......................................................................419
The Coma.........................................................................421
Proof............................................................................422
Secrets..........................................................................423
The Widower......................................................................426
Money............................................................................427
My Book, My Book.................................................................428
Time: 1975.......................................................................429
Cave.............................................................................430
Grief............................................................................431
II
Symbols..........................................................................437
1 / Wind.........................................................................437
2 / Guitar.......................................................................438
3 / Owl..........................................................................439
4 / Dog..........................................................................440
5 / Fire.........................................................................441
6 / Dawn.........................................................................442
7 / Wig..........................................................................443
8 / Garden.......................................................................444
III
Realms...........................................................................447
Storm............................................................................448
Interrogation II.................................................................450
Song.............................................................................456
Insight..........................................................................457
In Darkness......................................................................462
The Demagogue....................................................................464
The Bed..........................................................................465
The Heart........................................................................467
Exterior: Day....................................................................468
Time: 1978.......................................................................469
Hawk.............................................................................471
The Lover........................................................................473
The Game.........................................................................474
Spider Psyche....................................................................475
Grace............................................................................476
Time: 1972.......................................................................478
Villanelle of the Suicide's Mother...............................................479
Thirst...........................................................................480
Old Man..........................................................................482
REPAIR [1999]
Ice..............................................................................487
The Train........................................................................489
Archetypes.......................................................................490
After Auschwitz..................................................................491
The Dress........................................................................494
The Blow.........................................................................497
Bone.............................................................................499
Shock............................................................................500
The Poet.........................................................................502
Stone............................................................................507
Droplets.........................................................................508
Tender...........................................................................509
Risk.............................................................................510
House............................................................................511
Naked............................................................................512
Glass............................................................................513
Shoe.............................................................................514
Dream............................................................................515
The Cup..........................................................................516
Lost Wax.........................................................................518
Space............................................................................519
Tantrum..........................................................................520
Not Soul.........................................................................521
Depths...........................................................................523
Tree.............................................................................525
King.............................................................................526
Owen: Seven Days.................................................................531
Gas..............................................................................534
Last Things......................................................................535
The Lie..........................................................................536
The Nail.........................................................................537
Canal............................................................................538
The Dance........................................................................539
Biopsy...........................................................................540
The Island.......................................................................541
Dirt.............................................................................543
Swifts...........................................................................544
Invisible Mending................................................................545
THE SINGING [2003]
I
The Doe..........................................................................551
The Singing......................................................................552
Bialystok, or Lvov...............................................................554
This Happened....................................................................555
Self-Portrait with Rembrandt Self-Portrait.......................................557
Gravel...........................................................................558
Lessons..........................................................................559
Oh...............................................................................561
Narcissism.......................................................................563
Dissections......................................................................564
Scale: I.........................................................................565
Scale: II........................................................................567
Doves............................................................................568
Flamenco.........................................................................570
Inculcations.....................................................................571
Sully: Sixteen Months............................................................572
The World........................................................................573
II
Of Childhood the Dark............................................................577
III
Elegy for an Artist..............................................................587
IV
War..............................................................................599
Fear.............................................................................601
Chaos............................................................................603
The Future.......................................................................605
The Clause.......................................................................606
Leaves...........................................................................607
Night............................................................................608
In the Forest....................................................................611
The Hearth.......................................................................613
Low Relief.......................................................................616
The Tract........................................................................618
NEW POEMS
The Gaffe........................................................................625
Thrush...........................................................................627
Cows.............................................................................628
Marina...........................................................................630
Blackbird........................................................................632
Wasp.............................................................................634
On the Métro.....................................................................635
Peggy............................................................................637
Fish.............................................................................638
The Blade........................................................................639
Miniature Poodle.................................................................641
Plums............................................................................642
Rats.............................................................................644
Again............................................................................647
Frog.............................................................................649
Prisoners........................................................................651
Wood.............................................................................653
Fire.............................................................................654
We...............................................................................655
Saddening........................................................................657
Shrapnel.........................................................................659
Cassandra, Iraq..................................................................662
Ponies...........................................................................664
Index of Titles..................................................................667
Index of First Lines.............................................................673
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Continues...
COLLECTED POEMS by
C. K. Williams Copyright © 2006 by C. K. Williams. Excerpted by permission.