Birthday Dialogue

 

Good morning sun. Goodbye rain and wind that came before the sun. The sense of renewal is ever present on such a day, no matter what age you are celebrating.

There is a big field to play in. Perhaps we begin with facing each other. Here is my birthday poem, with a response from Jack Foley.

 

 

Birthday

fifty-seven knots
back to the threshold
of unknowing
zest
with style
ecstasy
with flair
one eye toward the gyre
whole body traverses
this universe
as big and as tiny
as all other universes
pushes pulls
into out of
forms and proportions
distance is memory
the fire
fueling
the present.

*

Birthday
Clara Hsu/ Jack Foley

*

fifty-seven knots

            Oh, I remember
back to the threshold

            fifty-seven
of unknowing

            and unknowing
zest

            the “cloud”—
with style

            What’s strange is
ecstasy

            you feel it
with flair

            only sometimes

            Mostly,
whole body traverses

            you’re whatever age you’ve set your bodymind clock for
this universe

            Desire

            remains
as all other universes

            and intellect
pushes pulls

            in the vastness
into out of

            of all you’ve done
forms and proportions

            in more than 70 years
distance is memory

            Distance is memory
the fire

            Fire
fueling

            (that deep friend)
the present.

            blazes