I am posting a poem called “Saint Lucia (An Epic)” over a few days. It is a long poem in 5 parts. I am posting one part per day. Yesterday I posted part I. Today I post part II. My girlfriend said that passages in part II sound racist. My intention is social criticism, not racism and I hope that readers will understand my intention.
II
Arrival: The Resort
Beyond words, beyond generous
Our luxurious resort home for a week
Riding through impoverished exclusively Afric locals
We few white riding into opulence
Did I detect resentment in our driver’s responses to our questions?
Morning coffee overlooking the ocean
Reflecting about self, self-esteem, why we are who we are
What we want, what we wish for out of life
Last night I saw the Southern Cross for the first time
My camera can’t photograph it
It belongs to the sky—the dark, night sky
Breakfast and the pool for a while and some Wallace Stevens
A Hobie-Cat, a snack, and some Wallace Stevens
The pride of the atheist and texts of atheism
Smart words
We few white
Pleasant indolence, calm, tranquil
And some Earl Klugh
And there is no time but the clocks and the calendars mark it
What day is it today?
Is it Tuesday?
And enjoying Joe Zawinul
The easy pace-in everything-leads me to wonder if my life in the city is too frenetic
