March 19, 2011

Lord Byron limped across the Grand Canal walking on the water…

The venue for Erica Jong’s poetry reading took place in the vestibule of the library of the Sala Sansoviniana of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana in Piazza San Marco.  The Library room’s ceiling is decorated by works of seven different artists, chosen by Titian and Sansovino and on its walls are portraits of philosophers, amongst which are some by Tinoretto and Veronese.


In Venice Again with You
In this great ghost of cities,
the dreams rise
from the murky lagoon
and you dream
you kill your father
and I dream again of my bad reviews.
A dagger hovers
In the air –
or can it be a pen?

The ghosts
are restless.

and the old assassins
from the past
dash through
the alleyways
transformed into cats.
-Erica Jong


3 comments:

Alistair said...

In Love Comes First the verse is supple and sensuous. Jong writes with wit and intelligence, inviting us to reconsider our place on earth, to repossess our affections, to confront and deal with fears. Jong is a poet of great value, a poet I admire and reread, for pleasure and instruction. Thanks for the post “S”.

Unknown said...

Erica Jong is surprising, funny, sexy, and as enchanting as ever.

Ms. Edna (squared) said...

Thank you S.