I am a shadow crossing ice
I am rusting knife in the water
I am pear tree bitten by frost
I uphold the mountain with my hand
My feet are cut by glass
I walk in the windy forest after dark
I am wrapped in a gold cloud
I whistle thru my teeth
I lose my hat
My eyes are fed to eagles & my jaw
is locked with silver wire
I have burned often and my bones are soup
I am stone giant statue on a cliff
I am mad as a blizzard
I stare out of broken cupboards.
Diane di Prima (1934-2020) was an American poet and activist associated with the Beat Generation. She was a prolific writer and her work often dealt with political and social issues, as well as spirituality and mysticism. Some of her most well-known works include the poetry collections "Memoirs of a Beatnik" and "Revolutionary Letters," as well as the memoir "Recollections of My Life as a Woman." Di Prima remains a vital figure in American literature and is often regarded as one of the foremost female poets of the Beat Generation.
I love Diane's work. I had the privilege of getting to know her just a bit from Buddhist retreats in the Santa Cruz mountains. A lovely person.
thanks for this, love this poem and glad to be reminded of it. Just a point of information though: Memoirs of a Beatnik is not a collection of poems, it's an autobiography interspersed with remarkably strong and imaginative sex scenes (inserted at the request of publisher Maurice Girodias). quite a read.