Sunday, November 1, 2009

White Rabbit: Issa's Sunday Service, #27







This past week was the birthday of rock great, Grace Slick, from one of my favorite 60's bands, Jefferson Airplane (a choice for which I took much flack from close friends). This week's selection is "White Rabbit," which is the second Grace Slick number to land on the Litrock list (here's the first, in case you missed it). Whether it's James Joyce or Lewis Carroll, Slick was always on the, umm, high end of things and this is a classic that just keeps on giving. It's presentation by the band is unusual for a song that hit the charts with staying power; the music builds dramatically, centered around the words and Slick's voice, in a style almost perfect for poetic presentation.


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Heading back to March 1993 and dipping into Lilliput Review #41, I found a couple of poems not previously featured. Enjoy.





The Center Of Evolution
the silence of a field
that points through the depth of a leaf
that formed all that potato
frying in your face
Stacey Sollfrey





this
isness of monarch
on lantana bloom,

two horny toads spied
in one week, late heat ...;

a sprinkle of rain
to prove the phenomenon

is all there is,
and is enough
Sylvia Manning




And one from the master:





eyeing the potato
on the banked fire...
crow
Issa
translated by David G. Lanoue



best,
Don

6 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

Love that song. I only wish it was longer. great lyrics

Ed Baker said...

wayyyyyyy back in the 60's my friends had a band The Natty Bumpo

http://martinbaummusic.com/sense.htm

whenever The Airplane came to D.C. they played at The Ambassador across the street from The Showboat Lounge..

AND

they were always the warm-up band for The Jefferson Airplane...

so I was freqyouwently there..

I had a crush on Gracie Slick! (still do)

after their sho we-all usually wld go back over to The Showboat Lounge

drink, eat and listen to Charlie Byrd (and whoever else was there) 'wail'


my friend, Margie Feldman's dad was a partner w CB and someone else owning the club.


I also had a crush on Margie! (still do)

Issa's Untidy Hut said...

Charles, yes, it's a winner ...

Ed, you have some high class crushes ... my first piece of published writing was a review in my high school newsletter of the Airplane's breakthrough album, "Surrealistic Pillow," from which 'White Rabbit' came -

Ally Malinenko said...

I love that song! And I love that statue in central park photo that you posted. I keep a picture of it on my wall over my writing desk.

Greg said...

great song. definitely feels more poetic than most do.

Issa's Untidy Hut said...

Thanks, Greg ...