Monday, April 07, 2008

Edwin Morgan: Opening the Cage: 14 Variations on 14 Words

Equivocal's experiment reminded me, for some reason of Edwin Morgan's sonnet.

Opening the Cage: 14 Variations on 14 Words

"I have nothing to say and I am saying it and that is poetry." — John Cage

I have to say poetry and is that nothing and am I saying it
I am and I have poetry to say and is that nothing saying it
I am nothing and I have poetry to say and that is saying it
I that am saying poetry have nothing and it is I and to say
And I say that I am to have poetry and saying it is nothing
I am poetry and nothing and saying it is to say that I have
To have nothing is poetry and I am saying that and I say it
Poetry is saying I have nothing and I am to say that and it
Saying nothing I am poetry and I have to say that and it is
It is and I am and I have poetry saying say that to nothing
It is saying poetry to nothing and I say I have and am that
Poetry is saying I have it and I am nothing and to say that
And that nothing is poetry I am saying and I have to say it
Saying poetry is nothing and to that I say I am and have it

Edwin Morgan, The Second Life
Edinburgh University Press, 1968

2 comments:

km said...

John Cage is my hero. And thanks for posting that poem!

Unknown said...

Cage's quote is eye-opening, and Morgan's variations are mind-opening ... Both so stimulating!