Chanson
This sun has thrown its light
to the clouds and the clouds
have thrown their shadows to the city;
The city has thrown its shadows
to the street and the street
has thrown these shadows to my window;
A sheet has thrown its shadows
across my shadow and as I throw
my shadow across you;
you catch all five shadows
and turn them into light
for the window to give the street;
for the street to give the city
for the city to give the clouds
and for the clouds to give the sun;
which has thrown its light
smooth and warm between my arms
on a January night.
- Lawrence M. Pray – August, 1970
This poem was published in a small poetry anthology in 1970 entitled “I Love You All Day … It’s That Simple”. Larry’s Chanson was nested among various 60’s poets’ entries — some of whom became the “venerable” poets of this era. But what makes Chanson it special for me is the memory it evokes of watching Larry working on his poetry, drawing lines from circled word to circled word, creating this magic web of colored lines and rectangles that left me thinking, “Shit! I have no idea what in the world he is doing; it sure must be smart.