there once was a shadow - beautiful poem by Shaunt Basmajian

 
there once was a shadow on huron street
and she was the one who followed me home
it was on one of those star filled nights
full of awe and intrigue
while the street bells chimed
and the wind
curled under our feet

we met as strangers
(a collision from the streets)
i the invader from the suburbs
and you the alien
from your mind
back then
in those reprocessing days
when love was like an ocean
and life that ship on sea
beneath the fountain
with its wine
and the city half-lit
like a candlelight
for us to dance under
on the rooftops
beneath the trees . . .

there once was a shadow on huron street
but in the morning
you were gone


copyright Shaunt Basmajian

from Surplus Waste and Other Poems
Unfinished Monument Press, 1982

Shaunt credited me with editorial assistance when he published this collection with my Unfinished Monument Press. Shaunt was stabbed during a robbery when he was driving cab. I don't believe he made it to 40 -  his dates are 1950 to 1990. RIP Shaunt

THEY DON'T SHOOT POETS HERE: poem by Shaunt Basmajian 1982

THEY DON'T SHOOT POETS HERE

a synopsis of the poetry scene in toronto
after 14 years


pablo neruda would
still be alive and well
living on a farm
somewhere outside toronto
working as an insurance agent
or a manager at a local bank
doing readings here and there
sponsored by the canada council
lorca's blood
would be cold and tempestuous
spilled only at a tavern
probably over and during a
hockey game in which
his team got an unnecessary
penalty
rimbaud undoubtedly would be
in a rock band
as a singer or lead guitarist
complaining about "the satisfaction"
he can't get or why his band is
unable to sign a recording contract
with a major record company

poets in greasy old hogtown just
don't have anything to scream about
"what's his name" just masturbates
in front of his audience
and "you know who" wonders why
he/she isn't famous



from Surplus Waste and Other Poems by Shaunt Basmajian

I published this with Unfinished Monument Press in 1982
Shaunt gave me a dedication for editorial assistance





photo from abebooks.com

beach glass, The Printed Word. Shaunt, jones: unacknowledged legislators

Below the Bluffs

Below the bluffs
where the streetcar
tracks end
we wash our feet
in Lake Ontario's
grimy wavelets
gently toe
the wealth of
muti-coloured fragments
time-polished
from shattered
beer bottles

This is one of the small joys of being a poet, rediscovering a long forgotten poem in an old chapbook. I'm unloading packets of small press poetry chapbooks from the boxes which fill my front porch and basement. Thank God for new small press enthusiasts like James, the owner of The Printed Word bookstore in Dundas, Ontario. In a phone chat a few weeks ago James proclaimed his love of poetry, especially Canadian poetry. Most poetry fans stick with the mainstream poets, the sort of famous ones like Al Purdy. But a few devotees veer off the beaten track to discover the work of lesser known (e.g. publicized) Canadian poets like jones and Shaunt Basmajian. 

The packet I mailed James two days ago contained a small poetry anthology published by Mark McCawley with his Greensleeves Press. The other chapbook I sent was my own collection, Unacknowledged Legislator, kindly published by small press godfather bill bissett in 1981 with his alternative blewointmentpress. Yeah, this is a minor "filler" poem, but it was fun to find a piece I'd long forgotten I'd written, and a very good friend is a beach glass collector who I hope will enjoy reading it.

In conversation with James I learned that he admires several of the poets I published with my small Unfinished Monument Press, esp. Shaunt and jones (Daniel). Apparently jones's writing has achieved a cult following in CanLit, and perhaps Shaunt's work as well.   While preparing today's packet I started re-reading Shaunt's poetry, and tomorrow I'll post one of his excellent poems from Surplus Waste and Other Poems.

chapbooks and emails to new Canadian poetry bookstore, The Printed Word

The Printed Word (bookstore)
Dundas, Ontario


Hi James,

I'm so pleased to learn that there's a new generation of booksellers which is enthused about Canadian poetry and also the hippie era  :  )   I'm both things, in spades!

Today I mailed you a small (free) sample of the chapbooks I published from the mid-1970s thru the 1990s, just to pique your interest. Also it's fascinating that you know of jones (Daniel). I published his first chapbook, "Jack & Jill in Toronto", most of which was then included in his poetry collection with Coach House Press.

The chapbooks I mailed today are "Last Minutes Instructions" by Mark McCawley (he was also a small press publisher - he died a few years ago in his 50s), "Qaani Lore" by jw curry, who is a mainstay on the micro press scene, "Poets Who Don't Dance" by Shaunt Basmajian (he died over 30 years ago - stabbed and robbed while driving cab in TO), and "Dear Little Old Lady" by Helen Costain. This is just a random sampling of Unfinished Monument Press chapbooks, of which I had a few extra copies available.

Hopefully the hot link in my email below to Chris H is still live, and it'll fill you in on the list of readers and musicians I featured at the Main Street Library Poetry Series from 1979 to 1985.

Assuming the link is live, it will take you to my blog, riffs and ripples from zenriver gardens, where there's a lot of other info on my involvement with CanPo.

Great to get in touch (thanks to Chris H. for making the connection) -

Best wishes with the bookstore - it's a hard grind making a living in the Canadian cultural field.


peace & poetry power!

Chris (Faiers)

here's the link to the Idden Brook Press edition of "Eel Pie Island Dharma":

http://www.hiddenbrookpress.com/Book-NS-ChrisFairs-EelPie.html

                                                              ~   ~   ~   ~

 reply from James, owner of The Hidden Word bookstore

Hi Chris:

The package of Unfinished Monument arrived a few days ago and -- tho I looked at them immediately excitedly noting titles and authors and the fact that Jones edited Shaunt Basmajian's Poets Who Don't Dance which sounds like a Jones title (and the poems are closer to Jones than other Basmajian I've seen - admittedly mostly visual/concrete stuff) -- I've only now had a chance to sit down with them and type out my appreciation and say thank you for reaching out to me and sending a lovely sampling of your press.  I would definitely like to see more of what you have and discuss a purchase of valuables in your collection.  For example, any Jones that you have would be of interest.  I started collecting Jones a few years ago when I first acquired some of his chapbooks from Nelson Ball, and recently a friend traded in Jones' copy of Layton's Balls for a One-Armed Juggler with a stamp that has "Jones" in the middle, "My Book"  along the top and "Fuck Off" at the bottom.. this copy also Rochdale ex-libris). 

I'd love to have a copy or copies of your hippy poet memoir.  I'm sure of at least one buyer, and I would like read it myself.

I've got customers in front of me and work piling up so I will sign off.

thanks for the books!

James




photo from Google