THE SIGNAL from David Katznelson
“If you're too open-minded; your brains will fall out.”― Lawrence Ferlinghetti
I am not alone in feeling like a door to our rich, cultural past closed yesterday with the passing of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the elder statesman of the beat generation—even back in the 50s as it unfolded. As a San Francisco native, born under the oversight of City Lights books, Ferlinghetti represented both a piece of the past that I wish I had lived and an ancient mariner who made it accessible. And he was always around…if you went to North Beach…if you frequented City Lights, his bookstore…one of the greatest on earth…or Cafe Trieste or The Live Worms Gallery you more probably than not would see him and your experience would suddenly be plugged into something greater. His eyes were always so shiny, carrying with them so much insight and life.
The portal to the beats is still creaked open, with Gary Snyder and Jack Hirschman and several other poets who would probably be congregating at Specs tonight if it were not for Covid. Telling stories, writing poems in the air, keeping up the fight for truth, artistic voice and justice that were at the core of Ferlinghetti’s life. So active, so present, so impactful for so long: this is a mighty void that will not be filled.
Ferlinghetti argues that poetry can save the world
This is a review of Ferlinghetti’s book POETRY AS AN INSURGENT ART from December of 2007 which provides great insight into the poet’s core. As reviewer Steve Heilig concludes: “Long may he add to his poetic warning: "‘Wake up, the world's on fire!’”
THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE
by Lawrence Ferlinghetti
The world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don't mind happiness
not always being
so very much fun
if you don't mind a touch of hell
now and then
just when everything is fine
because even in heaven
they don't sing
all the time
The world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don't mind some people dying
all the time
or maybe only starving
some of the time
which isn't half bad
if it isn't you
Oh the world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don't much mind
a few dead minds
in the higher places
or a bomb or two
now and then
in your upturned faces
or such other improprieties
as our Name Brand society
is prey to
with its men of distinction
and its men of extinction
and its priests
and other patrolmen
and its various segregations
and congressional investigations
and other constipations
that our fool flesh
is heir to
Yes the world is the best place of all
for a lot of such things as
making the fun scene
and making the love scene
and making the sad scene
and singing low songs and having inspirations
and walking around
looking at everything
and smelling flowers
and goosing statues
and even thinking
and kissing people and
making babies and wearing pants
and waving hats and
dancing
and going swimming in rivers
on picnics
in the middle of the summer
and just generally
'living it up'
Yes
but then right in the middle of it
comes the smiling
mortician
