The Spiritual Godfather

Feb 24

Posted by

An homage to Lawrence Ferlinghetti, with phrases found in his New York Times obituary:
 

At the end of his life,
aglow,
the spiritual godfather
at dawn
starts wailing:
“Fireflies!”
Sharp humor and social consciousness
dissolve
like Galilee,
like smoke.

 

Poem © 2021 by Magical Mystical Teacher

 
 
More The Whirligig #304
 
More Weekly Scribblings #58 at Poets and Storytellers United
 

Posted on February 24, 2021, in poetry, Poets & Storytellers United, The Whirligig and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 16 Comments.

  1. Rosemary Nissen-Wade | February 24, 2021 at 6:52 am

    Oh, I didn’t know Ferlinghetti had left us. (How is it I have always felt so much affection for someone I never met?) Thank you for the link to the obit, too. Your tribute is absolutely beautiful, and an exemplary use of this form.

    Reply
  2. Ron. | February 24, 2021 at 8:09 am

    Admirable tribute, Teach, for the man whose work triggered my birth as a poet more than half a century ago. And to do so in the pronpted form is even more amazing. Great stuff. Thanks.

    Reply
  3. Graham C Lester | February 24, 2021 at 9:00 am

    I like this one very much because the mini-poem is quite distinct from the overall poem, which is hard to do.

    Reply
    • magicalmysticalteacher | February 24, 2021 at 10:43 am

      It was very difficult to do! I had to totally rewrite the poem this morning after it was automatically posted just after midnight. The original version just wasn’t working, and honestly, I was about to give up. Then things came together!

      Reply
  4. Helen Dehner | February 24, 2021 at 12:22 pm

    I read of his passing this morning, not realizing his age. A long productive life …. your poem is lovely. I am still struggling with the form … LOL.

    Reply
  5. Beverly Crawford | February 24, 2021 at 5:03 pm

    How clever to do a homage in Waltmarie form. Well done!

    Reply
    • magicalmysticalteacher | February 24, 2021 at 5:46 pm

      Clever? Maybe. Difficult? Most definitely!

      On Wed, Feb 24, 2021 at 3:03 PM Magical Mystical Teacher wrote:

      >

      Reply
  6. oldegg | February 24, 2021 at 6:47 pm

    Perhaps being a poet able to express oneself lets you relax enough to reach 100.

    Reply
  8. Jim | February 24, 2021 at 9:59 pm

    I like the ending, like fireflies dissolve like smoke. This was a fun form to write?
    ..

    Reply
  9. Candace | February 24, 2021 at 10:42 pm

    This is beautiful! “Fireflies dissolving” that is superb.

    Reply
  10. Rosemary Nissen-Wade | February 24, 2021 at 11:35 pm

    If it’s any consolation, most of us seem to have found it quite difficult, yet we all managed it. I think yours is one of the best of our efforts.

    Reply
    • magicalmysticalteacher | February 25, 2021 at 4:19 am

      Thank you, Rosemary, for the consolation and the kudos.

      On Wed, Feb 24, 2021 at 9:35 PM Magical Mystical Teacher wrote:

      >

      Reply
  11. Margaret Bednar | February 25, 2021 at 7:20 pm

    101 years old! A very nice homage to this poetic artist.

    Reply
  12. purplepeninportland | March 2, 2021 at 7:43 pm

    This is seamless! Beautiful in each way it is read.

    Reply

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