Opening evening Duluth Dylan Fest 2021. Bob Dylan Revue |
Nevertheless...
One of the features of our annual Duluth Dylan Fest that is a carry over from Hibbing, is a poetry event. In the past, we've had a poetry night, but this year we had an actual poetry contest, as they used to do for Hibbing's Dylan Days.
Our 2021 DDF Poetry Contest was created and managed by Phil Fitzpatrick, a poet who also won one of those heralded Hibbing poetry contests years ago. Phil gave poets a choice between two themes for their submissions: Miles from Home or Changing Course.
DDF Poetry event via Zoom. There's a second screen as well. Photo courtesy Michael Anderson. |
I intended to share the winning poems here on my blog, but Phil's piece was so much fun I've selected instead to post this for your reading pleasure. For a little background, Sacred Heart is the former Catholic church which has served as home for the Music Resource Center as well as numerous concerts, including our Bob Dylan Revue and several other Dylan-themed events.
* * *
He Was There
by Phil Fitzpatrick
“It’s going to happen”
from “Two Degrees of Separation” by Connie Wanek
Whaddya know: finally, he showed up
snuck in the side door, dark glasses on
fedora pulled low, raggedy-ass black coat
couldn’t tell in the dark of Sacred Heart
but he might have been using a cane, to boot!
I was studying the stained-glass windows
admiring those deep reds, yellows, and blues,
the heavy-lined robes, the mournful smiles --
and that band: they were playing “Hard Rain,”
reminding me of Stockholm, Patti Smith, and all
I caught a movement at the corner of my eye
and turned quick; Mark, he was really feelin’ it,
not showy stuff like G E Smith; I scanned across
an’ above all the bobbing and nodding heads,
past Miriam and Laura jukin’ n’ jiving,’ watched
the stranger slink into the seats, like a shadow
and then slouch low and stay still as the dead,
no head swaying, no booted feet keepin’ time;
you’d never have known it was his music, his
“Maggie’s Farm,” his “You Ain’t Goin’Nowhere,”
or “Lay, Lady Lay” with Big D’s twanging whine;
an’ after Jane had soothed us with her “Born in Time,”
I looked over to watch him clapping . . . and that door,
it was just whispering closed, but I swear: he was there.
for Mark Bennett & The Bob Dylan Revue Band
1 comment:
This is the power of faith... " Well, if you believe in something long enough you just naturally come to think it's true.
There ain't no wall you can't cross over, ain't no fire you can't walk through.
Well, believing is all right, just don't let the wrong people know what it's all about.
They might put the evil eye on you, use their hidden powers to try to turn you out.
As said Bob in his song "Need a woman"
Anyway, Jesus was there, in this Church with you, making you feel loved.
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