My Generation Reading the Newspapers

By Kenneth Patchen 1911–1972 Kenneth Patchen

We must be slow and delicate; return

the policeman's stare with some esteem,

remember this is not a shadow play

of doves and geese but this is now

the time to write it down, record the words—

I mean we should have left some pride

of youth and not forget the destiny of men

who say goodbye to the wives and homes

they've read about at breakfast in a restaurant:

"My love."—without regret or bitterness

obtain the measure of the stride we make,

the latest song has chosen a theme of love

delivering us from all evil—destroy. . . ?

why no. . . this too is fanciful. . . funny how

hard it is to be slow and delicate in this,

this thing of framing words to mark this grave

I mean nothing short of blood in every street

on earth can fitly voice the loss of these.

Source: Selected Poems (New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1957)

Biography

Largely a self-taught writer, Kenneth Patchen never appeared to win widespread recognition from the professors at universities or many literary critics. As the New York Times Book Review noted, "While some critics tended to dismiss his work as naive, romantic, capricious and concerned often with the social problems of the 1930's, others found him a major voice in American poetry.... Even the most generous praise was usually . . .

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