Category: Leaves of Glass (page 5 of 6)

In late 2007 I received a grant from Arts Victoria to write a series of poems based on correspondence between Australian poet Bernard O’Dowd and Walt Whitman. The results were published as Leaves of Glass by Sydney-based publisher Puncher and Wattmann in 2013.

Words From the Master


	Revered master

	Dear Walt, my beloved master, my friend, 
	my bard my prophet and apostle - 

				Dear Bernard

	My dear master!

Your good, long varied and loving letter 
came yesterday and has been welcome and nourishing to meh. 

			My dear master!	
			I cannot reply properly, 
			we have been treading air since

Dear Bernard O'Dowd (and all the friends) 

		My dear master!

Dear friend Bernard O'Dowd (& dear friends all) 

		My dear master and 
			(may I say?) comrade!

I sh'd like to send you a little pocketbook b'd L of G 
as a present to be used by any of you & maybe handy

	My dear master!

Herewith are copies of my big book 'Complete Works' ...

		Dear friend B. O'D. 

	Well the New Year has come &
it is a dark foggy stormy glum day here - 

As I sit her Jan : 13 rather late at night ...

God bless you all - & see my words at bottom re-affirmed

Evn'g - Well how are you getting along there 
	10,000 miles f'm here - & 'how's all'? 
	(as the black people say down south)

The Last drawn pict: 'at 90' is the truest - 
the London Il.. News one is disagreeable, 
					foxy

	       		My dear master, I have received 
			and heartily thank you for 
			the papers you have sent  ... 

Just a word anyhow while I am waiting for my supper - 

				Master?




B. O’D. to W.W. | W.W. to B. O’D.

Greetings To Whitman




revered master


	dear walt, my beloved master, my friend, 
	my bard my prophet and apostle


	    my dear master


			my dear master


		my dear master 



	my dear master and (may I say?) comrade



				my dear master


	       my dear master 

B. O’D.

O’Dowd Seeks Whitman

I am 24, red hair, plain features,
and a little too backward for my own good.

B. O’D.


24yo dawn-red hair western districts oz poet seeks 80ish
NS/SD amerikan dusky-grey hair ex-civil war nurse poet
for inter-continental correspondences & hero worship -   
must heart ozpo philo/sci-fi &/or long walks on beach 
FYI both parents RC father policeman lonely child etc.
must possess GSOH & look good in footy shorts LOL 
should be child & wife friendly (without seeking same
must be cool with I can haz my own space can haz OK
genuine mature aged gentleman preferred pets OK &
must be familiar with works of H.K., A.L.G. & A.(B).P.
curvy grey-blonde fit uncut or straight-acting free verse 
poet preferred prose writer also OK must also be DTE	
NO BUSH POETS 1880s music OK slam poets OK
kisses & cuddles on winter nights watching DVDs OK
seeking fr'ship &/or possible loveship (optional) please
looking forward to each of your genuinely crafted replies
however due to stalker SNAFU send to mailbox B.O.D. 
enclose 2 recent portraits + drum taps & leaves of grass

Gowayz ob LOL: “O Kitteh! Meh Kitteh!”

'O Kitteh! Meh Kitteh! Mai feeful trip iz dun, k?
Teh hoomun haz weferd evareh rack, teh googie wii want iz wawn,
Teh nom nom iz near, teh bels Iz heer, teh ppl iz exultez,
Wyl folo Iz teh stedeh keel, teh vesel grim an dareh ...

    But O srsly!
     O teh bleedin drobs ob red,
       Wear awn teh dek meh Kitteh lys,
         Falen cold an ded.
	K.


O Kitteh! Mai Kitteh! Ryz up an heer teh bels;
Riyz up -- for yu teh flag iz flun -- for yu teh b00gil trls,
For yu b00kays an ribawn reefs--for yu teh shawz a-crowdeh,
For yu dey cal, teh swayin mas, feir eegr fases an him sez:

    'Hare Kitteh! Deer fafar!
     Dis rm benefe yor hed!
       It iz some Zzzzzz dat awn teh deck,
         Yu've falen cold an ded?
	Kfx.'

Meh Kitteh do not want anser, him lips r payl an stil,
Meh fafar do not want feel meh rm, him haz do not want! 
Puls do not want! Teh ship iz ankud sayf an sownd, its voyej 
closed an dun, Fwom feeful trip teh hoomun cums in wif wawn objetc;

     Exolt O shaws, an rign O bels!
       But Iz wif mownful foots,
         Walk teh dek meh Kitteh lies,
           Falen cold an ded. Srly.
	Kfxbai.



Walt Whitman, "O Captain! My Captain!", Leaves of Grass (10th edition)

Envoi


Brennan's contemporary, 


				Bernard O'Dowd, 


espoused the cause 

				of 

					  nationalism, 

and attained a far 		

			greater 				
				reputation 
					 in his day; 



but unlike 
			Brennan's, 


	         his work 
				has dated 	
				



badly.

Judith Wright,
A Book of Australian Verse (1968)