Film di Nicolas Humbert e Werner Penzel sul poeta americano Robert Lax
a/cer/tain//rhythm – a/cer/tain//know/ing
da “sea & sky”
i
they
groan
why
do
they
groan
the
people
groan
why
do
the
people
groan
the
nations
groan
why
do
the
nations
groan
?
*
why
do
the
nations
groan
&
why
do
they
re-
peat
a
vain
thing
?
the
clouds
the
clouds
are
ris-
ing
(over
the
sea)
*
the winter
the winter
(is
co-
ming)
sit
closer
to-
ghet-
er
sit
closer
as
well
to
the
earth
(for
the
cold
comes
on)
*
the
earth
the
earth
in
all
its
seasons
in
all
its
seasons
in
all
its
seasons
the
earth
the
earth
the
earth
*
not
thus
&
thus
&
thus
&
thus
but
thous
&
thus
&
thus
not
thus
&
thus
&
thus
&
thus
but
thus
&
thus
&
thus
*
a
cer-
tain
rhythm
a
cer-
tain
know-
ing
to
be
ob-
ser-
‘d
to
be
re-
mark-
‘d
a
cer-
tain
rhythm
a
cer-
tain
know-
ing
(in
all
the
chang-
ing
days)
*
prais-
ing
this
mo-
ment
with
all
of
his
heart
gave
him
heart
gave
him
heart
for
the
next
prais-
ing
this
mo-
ment
with
all
of
his
heart
gave
him
heart
gave
him
heart
for
what
fol-
low-
‘d
prais-
ing
this
mo-
ment
with
all
of
his
heart
gave
him
heart
gave
him
heart
for
what
fol-
low-
‘d
prais-
ing
this
mo-
ment
with
all
of
his
heart
gave
him
heart
gave
him
heart
for
what
fol-
low-
‘d
*
the
light
the
light
the
eye
the
eye
the
eye
the
eye
the
light
the
light
the
light
the
light
the
eye
the
eye
the
eye
the
eye
the
light
the
light
the
sun
the
sun
the
city
the
city
the
city
the
city
the
sun
the
sun
*
no
more
the
sun
no
more
the
sun
the
city
the
city
no
more
no
more
no
more
the
sun
no
more
the
city
(no
more)
*
the
city
the
city
the
city
the
city
the
sun
the
sun
the
sun
the
city
the
city
the
city
the
city
(the
city
the
city)
the
sun
*
the
city
the
city
(a
sun-
less
cit-
y)
the
city
the
city
(the
sun)
the
city
the
city
(a
sun-
less
cit-
y)
the
city
the
city
(the
sun)
*
why
do
the
na-
tions
groan
why
do
the
na-
tions
trem-
ble
why
do
the
na-
tions
groan
&
trem-
ble
(&
the
peo-
ple
re-
peat
a
vain
thing)
?
iii
[…]
his
heart
was
in-
dit-
ing
the
song
of
his
love
his
heart
was
in-
dit-
ing
his
love
*
what
was
the
love
that
his
heart
was
in-
dit-
ing
?
a
love
a
love
a
mys-
ter-
i-
ous
love
what
was
the
love
that
his
heart
was
in-
dit-
ing
?
a
love
a
mys-
ter-
i-
ous
love
*
black
black
the
warp
tight
tight
the
string
red
red
the
woof
of
my
love
of
my
love
black
black
the
warp
tight
tight
the
string
red
red
the
woof
of
my
love
*
a
sweet
wind
a
sweet
wind
blows
from
the
south
(but
my
love
is
far
a-
way)
<
a
sweet
wind
a
sweet
wind
blows
from
the
south
(but
my
heart
sings
wel-
a-
day)
vii
how
still
how
still
(&
the
domes
how
still)
how
still
how
still
is
the
sea
how
still
how
still
(&
the
domes
how
still)
how
still
the
wind-
less
sea
*
the
sea
the
sea
the
air
the
air
the
sky
the
sky
the
sky
the
sea
the
sea
the
air
the
air
the
sky
the
sky
the
sky
*
the
air
is
a
gi-
ant
who
holds
his
hand
be-
tween
the
sea
&
the
sky
the
air
is
a
gi-
ant
he
holds
his
hand
be-
tween
the
sea
&
the
sky
*
the
dream-
ing
dream-
ing
sea
re-
gards
the
smil-
ing
sky
the
dream-
ing
dream-
ing
sea
re-
gards
the
smil-
ing
sky
*
the
dream-
ing
sea
the
smil-
ing
sky
the
dream-
ing
dream-
ing
sea
the
dream-
ing
sea
the
smil-
ing
sky
the
dream-
ing
dream-
ing
sea
*
(the
sea
may
reach
the
sea
may
reach)
the
sky
looks
down
looks
down
(the
sea
may
reach
the
sea
may
reach)
the
sky
looks
down
looks
down
*
if
i
were
a
bird
if
i
were
a
bird
i
would
fly
to
the
ends
of
the
sea
if
i
was
a
bird
if
i
were
a
bird
i
would
fly
to
the
ends
of
the
sea
*
the
sea
the
sea
the
sky
the
sky
the
sky
the
sky
the
sea
the
sea
the
sea
the
sea
*
the
sky
the
sky
the
sky
the
sky
the
sea
the
sea
the
domes
the
domes
are
still
are
still
the
sea
the
sea
is
still
the
domes
are
still
*
the
sea
is
still
the
air
is
still
is
still
(the
domes
are
still
the
sea
is
still)
the
air
is
still
is
still
*
what
are
the
cur-
rents
un-
der
the
sea
what
are
the
cur-
rents
un-
der
the
sea
(the
sea
is
a
dream-
ing
sea
*
what
are
the
cur-
rents
un-
der
the
sea
what
are
the
cur-
rents
un-
der
the
sea
(the
sea-
‘s
a
yearn-
ing
sea
*
the
sea
may
reach
the
sea
may
reach
(the
sky
looks
down
looks
down)
the
sea
may
reach
the
sea
may
reach
(the
sky
looks
down
looks
down)
*
what
are
the
cur-
rents
un-
der
the
sea
(the
sea
is
a
dream-
ing
sea)
what
are
the
cur-
rents
un-
der
the
sea
(the
sea-
‘s
a
yearn-
ing
sea)
*
the
air
the
air
the
sky
the
sky
the
sea
the
sea
the
sea
the
air
the
air
the
sky
the
sky
the
sea
the
sea
the
sea
in Poems (1962-1997)
Robert Lax
~~~~~~
Niente è stato più difficile e frustrante che cercare di relegare in un post l’immensa vastità e profondità dell’universo poetico di Lax. La sua poesia, di volta in volta descritta come minimalista o astratta, concreta o visuale, basic form o poesia verticale, nella apparente semplicità di poche parole che si susseguono è estremamente complessa per le tematiche proposte e difficile da riportare nel foglio elettronico, dal momento che si nutre di spazi e tempi suoi propri. Spesso sono la ripetizione, gli spazi tra parole, la disposizione sul foglio, il ritmo a dare significato al testo, a crearne la bellezza. La sempre più evidente scarnificazione del testo, la ripetizione di poche parole o singoli caratteri esprimono tutto lo sforzo creativo e l’essenza della ricerca spirituale del poeta, uomo profondamente religioso, e la lettura dei suoi testi può costituire una vera e propria pratica meditativa.
Il reading che vi propongo vi darà una più precisa idea della particolare forma poetica adottata dall’autore. Il reading è del poema “The port was longing“
The port was longing
the port was longing
not for this ship
not for that ship
not for this ship
not for that ship
the port was longing
the port was longing
not for this sea
not for that sea
not for this sea
not for that sea
the port was longing
the port was longing
not for this &
not for that
not for this &
not for that
the port was longing
the port was longing
not for this &
not for that
Altrettanto difficile è stato decidere come narrare con poche immagini l’intensa e lunga vita del poeta, ma in questo il bel film di Humbert e Penzel ci è stato di aiuto, narrandoci gli ultimi anni in cui il poeta, ritirandosi a Patmos in Grecia per dedicarsi alla meditazione e alla semplicità di una vita monacale, fece della propria esistenza un “pur act” creativo, così come sono state le sue poesie.
Per questi motivi mi scuso con il poeta e i suoi estimatori se questo post può risultare forse superficiale e poco rispettoso della “metrica” poetica. Tra questi mi rivolgo soprattutto al poeta Giampaolo De Pietro (https://profilodiuncappello.wordpress.com/ ) che me lo ha fatto conoscere e che pubblicamente ringrazio di cuore.
~~~~~~
* i dipinti sono di Ad Reinhardt, amico nonché personalità ispiratrice di molte opere del poeta come il libro Red Circle Blue Square.
