my favorite homage from one poet to another is by jack collom. there is so much here to like, from the humor in the writing and of its subject, the love and affection of one writer for another, and the sharply drawn details packed with daily living, such as running an errand to the grocery store. perhaps the love of particular texts reveals very much about the reader of those texts. perhaps it's too complicated to call, buried too deep within the reader. i've read, and continue to reread, collom's text; i've lost track how many times.

Conversation with Ted (made-up)

Hi Ted.

Hi Jack. I'm just finishing this story. So he said, my heart is broken. And I said, don't bet on it. Alice, where's my pants? I used to see W. H. Auden at this deli on 5th Street. He led the chemical life. One day he was standing there trying to eat a hot dog, spilling mustard all over the floor, talking about this asthmatic boyfriend of his who breathed like a dog. He looked terrific, like a walnut. Uppers for breakfast, a glass of brandy late morning, some hash after supper, snort a little coke and take a bottle of wine to bed. How're you doing? Ten years ago you looked a little blue in the left hand. I'm going uptown to sell some books. Can you lend me eight cents for a cab? Alice, what do we need besides Pepsi and macaroni? Toilet paper. Here's my new book. You'll notice I'm not even in it. Let Eddie have that crocodile awhile, Anselm. Ron and I used to worry about the problem of continuity in poetry until we finally figured out when you say something, say something else. So long.

April 18, 1982

from Nice to See You: Homage to Ted Berrigan, edited and with an introduction by Anne Waldman (Coffee House Press, 1991)