san francisco by Eugene Ruggles

I give you back your bridge.
I have driven her too long
without feeling the tides
in her steel, her robes.
I give you back your hills
and parks that rise together
into islands of green cloth
that line my one coat.
I give you back the full pockets
of that one coat.
Where the wind is drinking
from the waters around your ankles
I give you back this small room
I breathe from,
beneath the cathedral of your voice.

from Interboard Poetry Community--http://www.webdelsol.com/IBPC/2004_06_01_rags_archive.htm
Eugene Ruggles, a celebrated Petaluma poet credited with turning poetry readings into big happenings, has died.Ruggles, 68, passed away Thursday at the turn-of-the-century Petaluma Hotel, where he had lived for the past 15 years in a small room crowded with the books he loved.In 1977, Ruggles received a Pulitzer Prize nomination for a collection of poems titled "Lifeguard in the Snow."from Santa Rosa Press Democrat: Petaluma poet, advocate Eugene Ruggles dies

I received this email from a friend today

(Ron Rozewski wrote:)

DEAD MY OLD FINE HOPES
AND DRY MY DREAMING
BUT STILL . . .
IRIS, BLUE EACH SPRING

--Shushiki

Then I looked up Ume Shushiki's work in Google
and found this poem at http://thegreenleaf.co.uk/HP/Women/s/shushiki01.htm

idobata no/ akura abunashi/sake no yoi

jeopardized
by drunkards
the cherry tree at the well

be careful be careful!
of the cherry tree by the well
you're drunk with sake

--Ume Shushiki

It reminded me of Gene (even though he preferred Carlo Rossi
"Paisano" to sake), and I wrote:

To Gene (Ruggles)

poet sits on his bed
drinking wine
tired of wine
he dreams instead

dreams of death
pass into
memory
mere past desire

podcast of Radio Sausalito "Brilliant Corners (Jazz + Poetry)" - Hosted By Beau Beausoleil - Show #80: Music Bill Charlap Trio; Poetry by Eugene Ruggles