Space Poem
Gerry Gilbert
*
poem composed of:
a man & a woman with a child/
a Vietnamese NLF guerilla wrote in his diary,
found on his body: MY DAYS AND TASKS BELONG TO HISTORY/
men stepping out of space capsules/
Newton said something like: IF I HAVE SEEN
FARTHER THAN OTHER MEN IT HAS BEEN BY STANDING
ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS
*
THIS IS A REVOLUTION
LEARNING TO WALK/TALK
My breath
falls down for you
Hold your baby on your shoulders
You are right, dont fall
Your days & tasks belong to history
I am formed
Tell me what you need
We are in space, walking
The baby can walk!
The accomplishment!
Protect yourself!
My heart falls down when you lose your feet
Floating out of the old desire, the machine
Your smile & your eyes
light me!
silver in the photographs
tumbling
the legs move
We will never diminish
I will die first
Look! The tortured Guerilla’s face has no skin!
& he has not betrayed you
You are not alone
You have survived
Days, Tasks, Belong to History
Say yes, yes
YOUR BABY BELIEVES YOU
Gilbert, Gerry. “Space Poem.” New Wave Canada. Ed. Raymond Souster. Toronto: Contact, 1966. 50-51.
Republished with the permission of Jeremy Gilbert and Tamsin Bragg.