Stéphane Mallarmé – 18 March 1842 – 9 September 1898, whose real name was Étienne Mallarmé, was a French poet and critic. He was a major French symbolist poet, and his work anticipated and inspired several revolutionary artistic schools of the early 20th century, such as Cubism, Futurism (art), Dadaism, and Surrealism. Portrait by Edouard Manet
Improvisation No. 13
Poetry is written not with ideas but words.
Stephané Mallarmé
Practicing Debussy
and turning to my sax
as the consuming sunshine
in my one room of desire
exchanging lots of notes
turning into two eyelids
with pangs of improvisations
on the impatient window sill
intent on a Cezanne orange
of a poem warmed by
a horizon of Central Park
in a denouement of seeds
having dreams of Mallarmé
drenched by a somnambulist
a muted bathrobe against walls
the wind is good
erupting in beat memory
amazed at the earth’s caresses
in daylight’s expression
awakening to an astonished bird
on the alcove whose wings
from living trees
absorbs the sky traffic
comes closer
black and visa less
in the hollow of my chilled
hands of intertwined words.