Brooklyn Narcissus by Paul Blackburn (wk5)

As an Open Form poem, Paul Blackburn takes “Brooklyn Narcissus” to the extreme, jumping from one thought to the next and with utterances that were not very articulate. There were some things I liked though. One was when he said “My trouble. Is.” Even though this bold statement felt like it was just stuck in, it was direct and funny. In fact, it may have even obviated most of the rest of the poem. It is only because Blackburn is troubled that the scenery outside of his window seems so haunting, but compelling. Blackburn would rather look outside than inward. With this interpretation, the last two lines make sense. “We enter the tunnel / The dirty windows give me back my face.” Once inside the tunnel, Blackburn’s source of distraction – the window – only reminds him that he must look at his own face rather than that of the outside world. Once he resolves his own problem perhaps there won’t be screaming, struggling Christmas trees any more. He would see the lights as things that are indeed lovely  and wouldn’t be prepared to exchange his flesh (i.e. switch places with) a lover. He would be able to love in his own skin and would no longer think of death.

I think it is interesting that Blackburn brings up the bridge several times. As he outrightly says in the poem, the bridge may symbolize “a bridge between we state one life and the next.” Blackburn doesn’t seem to finish this thought, but nonetheless the bridge must symbolize hope. How ominous is it then that the poem ends with him entering, not a bridge, but a tunnel?

a boy grows:a stories told

The poem a story pays homage to the dynamics of the family unit. The boy has recieved a holy spark, like ET's glowing finger touching him; The finger being the father, the glow being the nurturing warm emotion of the stories and ET being the "body" of their relationship. Similiarly to ET himself both characters, father and son, are curious how far they can push their relationship. The father has given him life sparking him with his sperm (after lighting a match with his mother) and now he sends sparks his way and fans the flames in order to do what he can to rear the boy emotionally stable. That is why even though the boy is a tender five the father realizes he has run out of stories and the boy regardless of what they share will have to grow up. He will have to loosen the ties that bind to find his own identity. That day is still far off but will start when he enters the first grade next year, formally beggining his schooling. The son will rebel and through finding his independence he might impact the paternal bond.
The son as nature gives us will have a metaphorical oedipus complex. He will want to do better emotionally in terms of pleasure and be more succesful professionally and socially than his father. The father is passing on his heritage by giving. He is recieving only what he values in the wholesomeness of the giving. As the boy grows he will move on to giving and taking simultaneously which is the natural next step for the boy in the order of things. The father wants to stay close to his son and like ET he thinks about "phoning home." Will the boy stay in touch. These kind of thoughts are not the mindset a father should have as it is dangerous to his well-being. From the fathers brooding we reach a catharsis. This is natural; it follows an ordered pattern. The father gives his stories to the son. In the end he gives ultimately by letting his son go form his individual story. This is the ultimate love as he has ket his son up emotionally telling him stories so that the son can tell his own.