Alice Notley: Pick of the Week [ed. Terence Winch]

 

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Secret

 

Something I don't want anyone to know

having naturally secrets where you hid some thing

under the ground, mine from myself      But are they

only linguistic, something you don't tell

what can the poem say for example or not, Jocko

he was a guy in my class. animals flowers and rocks

spoken of by humans as if mysterious

Are you mad at me? I could list them over

the last seventeen . . . years . . . my eyes hurt.

Ruefully      Some people I dislike I don't tell others

about. I didn't tell you I live alone to act crazy

blistering winds of malfortune keep oh keep arising

my thought comes from nowhere my mis-

shapen mind my mind I hardly recognize in its

abnormality      who recognizes, of course. I'm

being secretive, but all of this comes from a void

Everything's a secret and if you know so

you can act. The blank thought behind all the rules

you don't let yourself know you follow.

You don't want me particularly; I could ap-

prove of your magisterial complicity in how

"we" "do" "things"      Convince me that you secretly . . .

the throes of opportunity . . . complots . . . secretly

And now I would confess some "weakness"

My problem with the confessional: I'm not a

Catholic      took it with her to the grave. Grave Alice

My secret is that I'm in complete control of my-

self; no matter how it seems; and how I do it, is a secret.

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Alice Notley has published over fifty books of poetry and prose, most recently Being Reflected Upon (in which "Secret" may be found), The Speak Angel Series, and Telling the Truth As It Comes Up. She is also a visual artist and collagist and is the author of Runes and Chords, a selection of her poem/drawings. She has edited or co-edited three poetry magazines, CHICAGO, Scarlet, and Gare du Nord. She has also edited or co-edited books by poets Ted Berrigan and Douglas Oliver. Since 1992 Notley has lived and worked in Paris, France.

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                                                   Felix Nussbaum (1904–1944), The Secret, oil on canvas, 1939.

Comments

[David Beaudouin]

Every poem has an engine under the hood that is a secret. Alice, as usual, in her exceptional presence on the page, has captured this beautifully and made it her own. Thanks for this lovely start into autumn, Terence!

[Sr. Leslie]

Legendary says it all!…Nothing more needs to be said…Thanks Terence and. Thanks Alice!

[Adrian Blevins]

I like the idea that the poem almost "says" the opposite of what it "says," and this wonderful one is no exception.

[lally]

great poem alice, great pick and post terence, poetry bosses, both of you

[Clarinda Harriss]

Complicated and fine

[Terence Winch]

David, Leslie, Michael---Thanks for the comments.

[susan campbell]

Great poem.

[Don Berger]

We trust the supreme intelligence of this poem as it skitters forward--I love being like a half-step behind all the shifts in the speaker's concern beat by beat, sentence by sentence. Clearly a great poet delivers here and I'm glad we get to take part in her song. A wonderful pick.

[Rupert Wondolowski]

No one carves worlds like Alice Notley.

[Phyllis Rosenzweig]

There is a reason she is legendary. Also beautiful. Great photo as well as great poem. It is so blunt and powerful.

[Bill Nevins]

As Ciaran Carson mentioned in "Belfast Confetti", the voice may "stutter" towards truth,despite all the flak that flies at and from the mind. 'The blank thought behind all the rules

you don't let yourself know you follow."--fine line, fine poem. Thanks!

[Simon Schuchat]

Wonderful as ever -- everything revealed!

[Eileen Reich]

Wonderful poem and artwork. 💚

[Diane Ward]

Wonderful poem, folding in on itself, secrets in secrets. Beautiful photo.

[Rebecca Levenson]

I love this, thank you.

[Jeffrey Cyphers Wright]

‘“How” “we” “do” things!’
Does them so well!