Category Archives: Andrew Griffin

Spring, 2020

Posted on Saturday, April 4th, 2020 11:22 am by John MacKenzie

April. Already Magnolias contemplate white Silences to come. How many will we see wither And die while May petals fall?

Posted in Andrew Griffin, Capitalism, Corporate Capitalism, Delusional thinking, John MacKenzie Poetry, Magnolias, New poems, Poem tweets, Poetry, Political Commentary, Protest poems, Spring, Tanka | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Step Away from the Buddha: brief notes on reading and response, and on salvaging Haiku (and Two Haiku for April 22)

Posted on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014 4:36 pm by John MacKenzie

Spring is here, and, with it, a volume of Japanese Death Poems (compiled by Yoel Hoffmann) sent to me by Andrew Griffin. This book sat on my shelf for a few weeks as I gradually overcame my distaste for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Griffin, Art is lies, Art is theft, Chinese poetry, Japanese Poetry, John MacKenzie, Magnolias, New poems, Poem tweets, Poetics, Poetry, Process, Spring, The Wind | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Eidolons, Baby (recent poems, November 2012)

Posted on Tuesday, April 8th, 2014 11:30 am by John MacKenzie

Eidolons, baby,* that’s all we are and all we make; we, our own ghosts, are the blurred after-images the pencil traces, what the waiting shapes. *This one came from a brief conversation with Andrew Griffin about the Walt Whitman poem.

Posted in Andrew Griffin, Art, Art is lies, Art is theft, Consciousness, John MacKenzie, Memory, Poetry, Recent poems, Walt Whitman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Secluded Orchid (stolen Chinese poetry)

Posted on Sunday, February 9th, 2014 11:39 am by John MacKenzie

This is the fourth in a series of poems (1, 2, 3) I’ve appropriated from the Chinese via literal translations (which can be found below each poem) by Andrew Griffin—all liberties taken with them must be blamed on me, not … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Griffin, Art is lies, Art is theft, Chinese poetry, John MacKenzie, New poems, Orchids, Poem tweets, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Watching Bamboo Grow (more stolen Chinese poetry)

Posted on Friday, January 17th, 2014 11:39 am by John MacKenzie

This is the third in a series. The first two can be found by clicking the Chinese poetry category and tag links at the bottom of the post. As with the others the original Chinese is below, along with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Griffin, Art is lies, Art is theft, Bamboo, Chinese poetry, John MacKenzie, New poems, Poem tweets, Poetry, Summer, Translations/Transpositions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Frost Chrysanthemums (Chinese poetry)

Posted on Tuesday, January 7th, 2014 11:49 am by John MacKenzie

Another old Chinese poem. Again, no idea who the author was. And again, worked from a literal translation by Andrew Griffin, which is below the poem. Frost Chrysanthemums In one night the autumn wind split open all the seams of … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Griffin, Art is lies, Art is theft, Autumn, Chinese poetry, John MacKenzie, New poems, Poem tweets, Poetry, Spring, The Sky, The Wind, Time, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Winter Plum (a slightly more faithful translation)

Posted on Wednesday, January 1st, 2014 1:39 pm by John MacKenzie

The original, with Andrew Griffin’s literal translation, is at the bottom. Winter Plum The mountain wind startles half the flowers on your branches into bursting open. How long have you stood at the edge of this cliff alone in your … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Griffin, Art is lies, Art is theft, Chinese poetry, John MacKenzie, Plum Blossoms, Poem tweets, Poetry, Recent poems, The Wind, Time, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Winter Plum Blossoms

Posted on Friday, December 27th, 2013 4:09 pm by John MacKenzie

This afternoon, Andrew Griffin and I sat at Mr Sushi and mistranslated a poem that’s painted on the wall there. I have no idea who wrote it, but I’m sure it’s a famous old poem. The uncertainty of its authorship … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Griffin, Art is lies, Art is theft, Chinese poetry, John MacKenzie, New poems, Plum Blossoms, Poem tweets, Poetry, The Wind, Time, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments