Beat Poetry Friday - Lew Welsh

Lew Welsh was a contemporary of the "beat poets" of the 50's and early 60's

Which is another way of saying he shared a house with Gary Snyder and Philip Whalen while attending Reed College.

Along with Snyder, Whalen and other characters of the time he appeared in Jack Kerouac's novels. In Kerouac's Big Sur he was the inspiration for the character Dave Wain.

After college and attempting to make his living as a poet. (Which sadly is about as likely as making your living as a poet today.) He moved back east and worked in advertising.

There is some dispute, but he may have been the one who came up with the slogan "Raid kills bugs dead".

So after a time he left advertising and moved back west to concentrate on his writing once again.

But I don't think he ever got his due.

Here is one of my favorites

I Saw Myself

I saw myself
a ring of bone
in the clear stream
of all of it

and vowed
always to be open to it
that all of it
might flow through

and then heard
"ring of bone" where
ring is what a

bell does

PS - I got the best wave of the last 2-3 months yesterday!

Comments

HeadHighGlassy said…
After a few sakes with Snyder about ten years ago (the first and last time I spent with him socially), he leans over and whispers, "I know where Lew Welch is."
"Where?" I asked.
He just winks and pours me another.
Congrats on your wave.
pranaglider said…
Thanks for sharing,

Best Lew Walsh story ever!!
HeadHighGlassy said…
It was the wink that made it.

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