San Francisco [Almost a Sonnet] -

Home
>
Poetry
>
San Francisco [Almost a Sonnet]

San Francisco [Almost a Sonnet]

(The city by the bay of Northern California, near which the Pacific Ocean resides; the year is 1967)

Mid October seemed like some spring day,

When through the poised waters, dry as lead,
The ferry, like vague shadows that stand the dead,

Slipped down the curved coast of Frisco bay,
Rounded the Golden Gate,-and San Francisco lay,
Before me, that gay city, pink and red,
Hippies covered Haigh Asbury's homeless head,-

My home, to be, I found stirring and grey.

The waves busted on the wooden-sides; fishermen

Nearby with long necks, looked and cast again.
Deep in emerald waters we wandered free,
When abruptly the bay currents were stirred

The ferry bearing restrained the great sea bird
Settling, like Asbury's spirit, in the sea.

6/4/05 #708

Note by the Author: Sonnets are tricky little creatures, and although I started out to create one, I found I had to lay it aside, and create a semi-sonnet, for I did not want to lose tone, and spirit of the waters around the bay of San Francisco, and the echoes that came with it. I had lived there in l967-68 for a year. And many ferry rides were available for a few dollars. Some even chanced it by going under and out beyond the Golden Gate, and so it was the supreme achievement of my youthful years to have become a part of this fascinating city, in such a fascinating time period, one unequalled since the 1920's when Hemingway and Fitzgerald walked the streets of Paris, and Scott, coined the term, "The Jazz Age," back in l967, it was the Hippie Era.

I suppose for me, I do not feel bound by formal regularity to create a full sonnet, but in this poem neither did I want blank verse, which is unrhymed iambic pentameter. So this is what I came up with. The trip I took on the boat was actually with my mother, who came to visit me in the city by the bay, as I had gotten drafted to go into the Army, and onto Vietnam. It was a joyful memory for both of us, which lasted until she passed on in 2003; yes, we talked about those far off days in San Francisco, of which she only stayed for a week, for 35-years; what more can one ask for out an experience.

Poet Dennis Siluk web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

In The News:

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi%3Ff%3D/c/a/2008/11/21/DDVU147VA9.DTL%26type%3Dartcid=1273140927ei=bnMoSYPYJoLg6AO9zIXQCwusg=AFQjCNFMRQMDOyWuI6t6cIRBKSJMA8TyDQbPoetry/b on canvas/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSan Francisco Chronicle,nbsp; USAnbsp;-/font nobr14 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1At the gallery, an area has been set aside so that visitors can work on their own portraits or bpoetry/b. Bay Area Video Coalition student Jonathan Wong b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-finkel--obitnov22,0,2550511.storycid=0ei=bnMoSYPYJoLg6AO9zIXQCwusg=AFQjCNEmEa2S3_wL0o15OpZhOEUu09nuowIlluminated bpoetry#39;s/b possibilities/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fChicago Tribune,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Donald Finkel, an American poet whose work teemed with curious juxtapositions that helped illuminate the function of bpoetry/b itself, died on Nov. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/14/AR2008111401691.htmlcid=0ei=bnMoSYPYJoLg6AO9zIXQCwusg=AFQjCNHFdcb4ip4sWGrRb41zWDJWSsvHggThe bPoetry/b of Pain/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWashington Post,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr22 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1She performs bpoetry/b and teaches it to children all over Maryland, inspiring almost everyone who hears her with her frank personal revelations and her b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.baldwincountynow.com/articles/2008/11/22/arts_and_entertainment/doc4927108a126b7181527204.txtcid=0ei=bnMoSYPYJoLg6AO9zIXQCwusg=AFQjCNGG81wetwttDafu0agErt1iVYxBPwCarlisle, Davidson tops in bPoetry/b Out Loud/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fGulf Coast Newspapers,nbsp;ALnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Students Thursday raised the roof for Spanish Fort High Schoolâ€™s bPoetry/b Out Loud competition. Nineteen students recited bpoetry/b for a chance to compete in b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20081122/NEWS/811220321/1001cid=0ei=bnMoSYPYJoLg6AO9zIXQCwusg=AFQjCNG6C-eCm6GEvkVVlTr-kyaPXFZDUgbPoetry/b contest open to K-12 students/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fStatesman Journal,nbsp;ORnbsp;-/font nobr9 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Salem â€” Students in grades K-12 may enter a state bpoetry/b contest by the Oregon State bPoetry/b Association. Students may enter four grade-level divisions. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Candia-Author-Publishes-Contemporary-Book/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257BE7A75DEF-7FF1-4B59-99D3-14B35C4973B7%257Dcid=1272354033ei=bnMoSYPYJoLg6AO9zIXQCwusg=AFQjCNHf8SFoLAME9yEH1Zy-i8iZmBMcUQCandia Author Publishes Contemporary Book of bPoetry/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobrNov 19, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The bpoetry/b featured in his new release covers topics such as abuse, nature, the Civil War, and thunderstorms. Redic thinks good writing should ask the b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.pr.com/press-release/118141cid=0ei=bnMoSYPYJoLg6AO9zIXQCwusg=AFQjCNFhxU2M6mfl4JHiV99lI-zIEVZnMAThrough the Thicket Press: the Beginning of a New bPoetry/b Era/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPR.com (press release),nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobr12 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1One day this writer decided to make it a reality, and she did so by simply creating an online press and publishing her first e-book of bpoetry/b, Entanglement. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D/20081120/ENTERTAIN/811200387cid=1272561914ei=bnMoSYPYJoLg6AO9zIXQCwusg=AFQjCNEHKYLi1aYaHHANrZS6iQxPS2D5JQBooks amp; bPoetry/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSouth Coast Today,nbsp;MAnbsp;-/font nobrNov 20, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1bPoetry/b writing workshops: The Bartleby Scrivener bPoetry/b Group meets, 6:30 pm first Mondays. Bring 12-15 copies of an original poem to critique. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.times-news.com/entertainment/local_story_326113801.html%3Fkeyword%3Dtopstorycid=0ei=bnMoSYPYJoLg6AO9zIXQCwusg=AFQjCNGVhncLDcfE_GiFg8iD9zOLKf5KNwbPoetry/b, Music, Dance/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fCumberland Times-News,nbsp;MDnbsp;-/font nobrNov 21, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Bowman, who has a longtime interest in the period and a background in theater, has planned an evening that will feature students performing bpoetry/b, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/081123/TV/sundaytvtimes_09.htmlcid=0ei=bnMoSYPYJoLg6AO9zIXQCwusg=AFQjCNFuhGmFigUYMlpJCNrCUfM4Z6MoWgimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=fppFxPc9R0sJimgurl=www.sundaytimes.lk/081123/images/Buddhadasa-Galappatty.jpg width=63 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Sunday Times.lk/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/081123/TV/sundaytvtimes_09.htmlcid=0ei=bnMoSYPYJoLg6AO9zIXQCwusg=AFQjCNFuhGmFigUYMlpJCNrCUfM4Z6MoWgLaunch of Buddhiâ€™s bpoetry/b and verse/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSunday Times.lk,nbsp;Sri Lankanbsp;-/font nobr23 minutes ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The second volume of writer and poet Buddhadasa Galappatty#39;s #39;Sahurda Satahan#39; (Notes of a Connoisseur) and a translation of a collection of bpoetry/b #39;The b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

poetry - Google News