'Story of my life'

 

“Of course a poem is a two-way street. No poem is any good if it doesn't suggest to the reader things from his own mind and recollection that he will read into it, and will add to what the poet has suggested.” – James Laughlin

 

Born in Pittsburgh, PA, in November of 1914, Laughlin founded New Directions Publishing and authored 16 bestselling books of poetry (more than 1,200 poems).  Recipient of the National Book Award Program’s “Distinguished Contribution to American Letters Award,” he also was honored by The Academy of American Poets with creation of the “James Laughlin Award,” presented annually to honor a poet’s second book.    For Saturday’s Poem, from The Collected Poems of James Laughlin, here is,

 

                                             What The Pencil Writes

                                                        Often when I go out I
                                                        put in my coat pocket

 

                                                        some paper and a pencil
                                                        in case I want to

 

                                                       write something down
                                                       well there they are

 

                                                       wherever I go and as
                                                       my coat moves the pencil

 

                                                       writes by itself
                                                       a kind of gibberish

 

                                                       hieroglyphic which I
                                                       often think as I undress

 

                                                      at night & take
                                                      out those papers with

 

                                                      nothing written on
                                                      them but strange and

 

                                                      meaningless marks is
                                                      the story of my life.