A 20th Century Poet

Poetry of the late 20^th century is different than that which went before.  T.S. Eliot spoke to a confused and self-examining generation, but the poetry that came from the 1960s and forward is often iconoclastic, humorous, humorless, cynical, and yet full of a sense of  determined, disillusioned honesty. 
 

As a part of this tradition, David Budbill fled the city in 1969 (after the events of 1968)  to live  in northern Vermont, where he writes poetry, music, novels, plays etc.   He is a strong anti-war activist and is greatly influenced by Zen philosophy. His poetry appeals to me because it is simple and direct.  His newest book of poems, Happy Days, coming out in September of this year, is about his thoughts as he enters his 70s, and he admits that the pieces in it are both happy and sad.   In a different but equally strident voice, his daughter Nadine Wolf Budbill continues the poetic tradition in her own, more rapped voice.

I like his advice to poets:  “If you don’t hear the voices speaking to you from inside or from the other side or someplace, don’t write, just listen more carefully.”

Dilemma by David Budbill

I want to be
famous
so I can be
humble
about being
famous.

What good is my
humility
when I am
stuck
in this
obscurity?


Tomorrow by David Budbill

Tomorrow
we are
bones and ash,
the roots of weeds
poking through
our skulls.

Today,
simple clothes,
empty mind,
full stomach,
alive, aware,
right here,
right now.

Drunk on music,
who needs wine?

Come on,
Sweetheart,
let’s go dancing
while we’ve still
got feet.