An interview with Minneosta poet Robert Bly about his book “Soul Poems.” Bly reads various poets from book collection.

Transcript:

(00:00:00) in the book about spiritual spirituality It really begins with the starting on the path. And there's something in us that doesn't want us to continue on any spiritual path. Here's a poem by ghalib 19th century hinder point in this world of infinite possibilities. I look around for the second step of Desire. All I see is one footprint. A man that I knew who had done a lot of initiation in Minneapolis for hinder group. I ask them how many people he's initiated. He said if I had a paper for each one to reach out to my shoulder then he said where are all these
(00:00:39) people they started in fell off
(00:00:41) they started in fell off. So one way to say it is that you can start in the spiritual path, but then someone inside you who realizes what you about to do. So there's a lot of fear actually In the two going in a spiritual path, here's a poem by rilke in which he talks about when a person does go into path his own children feel better about it. Sometimes a man stands up during supper and walked out doors and keeps on walking because of a church that stand somewhere in the East and his children say blessings on him as if he had died. And another man who remains inside his own house dies there inside the dishes and the glasses so that his children have to go far out into the world toward that same church, which he forgot. So that's a sweet poem in it says that like in the Eisenhower period a lot of the men didn't go to add any special path. They stayed inside their own house with their golf clubs and their glasses, huh? So the children had to go far out into the world. That's what really happened in the
(00:01:55) 60s. There's a section of your book. I just picked out one word from it malls. Hmm. Could you read us a poem from that section? Maybe give us a little more context than I have so
(00:02:05) far. Well look, Question is you know, what is it mean the concept of a spiritual Road and that's understood in a thousand different ways. But one way that you can think of it now is it means moving away from the malls? There is a certain hunger and greed that seems to be the opposite of that kind of nakedness that that Saint Francis is interested in real kids interested in and we Dickinson is interested in so you could say that spirituality is very difficult. Now because of the tremendous amount of wanting energy that's being exerted towards objects and advertising supports that capitalism supports it the malls, Somme one word you can use for that is wanting energy and it seems that the Americans wanting energy is going towards eyes, you know towards objects for the VCRs towards computers. Bill Gates is crazy about that. But a roomy is a poet from the 13th century a Muslim poet and I'll read one of his poems. Who makes these changes? I shoot an arrow, right it lands left. All right, after a deer and find myself chased by a hog, I plot to get what I want and end up in prison. I dig pits to trap others and fall in I should be suspicious of what I
(00:03:24) want. I'd like to read a poem If I could and it strikes me that you've got to read a book of poetry out loud. Yep. So I'd like your critique. I'd like to know what you think about people reading it out loud, but I'd like to read Gerard Manley Hopkins as Kingfishers catch fire. As Kingfishers catch fire dragon flies draw flame as tumbled over rim and round ewell's Stones ring, like each tucked string tells each hung Bells bow swung finds tongue to fling out brought its name each mortal thing does one thing and the same deals out that being indoors each one dwells selves goes itself myself. It speaks and spells crying. What I do is me for that. I
(00:04:06) came hmm. Not bad. Yes a lot of energy in Your voice but for people reading they would say what you need to do is to slow that down about three times. Because the mind takes in where is much lower than we imagine it takes it in very fast when it's reading but when it's hearing like when I'm giving approach reading I read all the poems twice, so I'll read this one again gently sure as Kingfishers kids fire dragon flies draw a flame and you can pause a half an hour as tumbled over a rim in around ewell's Stones ring. Like he'd stuck string tells each hung Bells bow swung finds tongue to fling out brought its name. I'd rather too fast. Each mortal thing does one thing and the same that's good. Each mortal thing does one thing in the same deals out that being indoors each one dwells cells grows itself. Myself it speaks and spells crying when I do. Is me. For that I came so that would be true of a sparrow as it would have you and me. I love that don't you what I do is me for that I
(00:05:32) came. Gorgeous and that's to to prepare people whose relatives about this book to be ready to hear this coming from
(00:05:40) bathtubs or or beds or wherever they're reading it. I'll read one more poem fits all I need from you. I did a new version of this. It's from The Acts of John which didn't get into the New Testament, but nevertheless it has a lot of material in it that people think belongs to Christ and this is called the hymns of Jesus name of Jesus and I'll read it for you. And people some people think it is the words of Jesus. I want to be saved and I want to save amen. I want to be set free and I want a free. Amen. I want to be born and I want to give birth. I'm in I want to hear and I want to be heard. I'm in Sweden has dances. I want a pipe all of you dance. Amen. I want to run away and I want to stay. Amen. I want to make you beautiful and I want to be beautiful. I mean I want to join with you and I want to be joined. I mean I have no house and I have houses I'm in I have no ground and I have ground I'm in I have no Temple and I have temples I'm in. If you look at me, I will be a lamp I'm in if you knock on me. I'll be a door. I'm in that got into the New Testament. If you are a traveler, I will be a road. I'm In This is My Dance answer me with
(00:07:02) dancing. That's pretty good. That is fantastic.