Ascenseur pour l’échafaud/Elevator to the Gallows

by Jack Foley

                         for Robin A. Nicholas

who writes
who writes
of the sadness of lovers
of the sadness of lovers
of their
of their
loneliness when apart
loneliness when apart
Jeanne Moreau
Jeanne Moreau
in this magnificent film
in this magnificent film
wanders the night
wanders the night
streets of Paris
streets of Paris
finding
finding
nothing
nothing
her love is sincere
her love is sincere
but her punishment
but her punishment
later
later
is worse than her
is worse than her
lover’s
lover’s
Miles Davis
Miles Davis
watched the film
watched the film
with those deep deep eyes
with those deep deep eyes
and named
and named
the nothing
the nothing
she felt
she felt
as he leapt
as he leapt
beyond
beyond

the frenzy of bebop

to the pure
to the pure
sound
sound

of the heart of the world
of the heart of the world

in a woman’s
in a woman’s

longing
(longing)

__________________________

Jack Foley’s radio show, Cover to Cover, is heard on Berkeley, California radio station KPFA every Wednesday at 3; his column, “Foley’s Books,” appears in the online magazine Alsop Review. He has published 11 books of poetry, 5 books of criticism, and Visions and Affiliations, a chronoencyclopedia of California poetry. In 2010 Foley was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Berkeley Poetry Festival, and June 5, 2010 was proclaimed “Jack Foley Day” in Berkeley. A webfestschrift celebrating his life and work can be found in the current Tower Journal: www.towerjournal.com.

Website: www.jack-adellefoley.com/ 

Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Foley_(poet)#Biography.

Jack Foley contributes regularly to this blog.