Paul Blackburn (November 24, 1926 – September 13, 1971) was an American poet. He influenced contemporary literature through his poetry, translations and the encouragement and support he offered to fellow poets.
In his lifetime Blackburn published thirteen books of original poetry, as well as five major works of translation. Twelve other books were published posthumously.
RITUAL VIII
Paul Blackburn
Let me tell you, let me tell
you, it
is the repetitions
keep us going any
way
That pretty girl crossing
on the ferry at 6 so
clearly ignoring
all the attention she gets, will
grow old, get
pregnant,
increase the population or not,
come to look
different, change
her ideas, and so,
years from now
another girl
looking not unlike her will come
sit in the same seat, not
smoking,
eaten up by bad coffee and foghorns
back
to some unremarkable life, and
the process
rebegin
That old advertisement for a cleaner, Old
Dutch,
holding a can of Old Dutch cleanser with
the same picture on it,
and the same one that, only
a little smaller, always
one a little smaller, the
same thing
over again
============
THE YAWN
Paul Blackburn
The black-haired girl
with the big
brown
eyes
on the Queen’s train coming
in to work, so
opens her mouth so beautifully
wide
in a ya-aawn, that
two stops after she has left the train
I have only to think of her and I
o-oh-aaww-hm