d.a levy's book

it was much simpler when i walked
in the summer to the North Branch library
& couldnt find books on Tantracism, Dadaism,
Buddhism, Egypt, contemporary poetry--
there was a lot of American Propaganda
i was very disappointed--i really wanted
to study--instead i sat away the summers
trying to become as soft as the trees
trying to understand where they
got their faith in life
growing--growing patiently
leaping towards the sun

--d.a levy from 'Suburban Monastery Death Poem'

From The Marrahwannah Quarterly, aka
The Mary Jane Quarterly volume 2, n.1 1966:

levy writes in his editorial 'A SORT OF SWAN SONG/
OR A LETTER TO TOMORROW FROM THE
CLEVELAND MERRY-GO-ROUND'

"collecting books of contemporary poetry to eventually
give to the Cleveland Public Librarys inadequate
poetry section"

...fragment from the destroyed journal of 1965...

"Downtown at the Public Library i stop in Brett Hall to
stare at the William Sommer Mescaline mural until
one of the old time librarians thinks im trying to
hustle up trade and chases me away with a 15 lb
Gold Star Mothers Medal swinging like a mace.
I take out a copy of 'Tibetan Yoga & Secret Doctrines'
& leave suspiciously..."