March 2018 – The Robert Pawlikowski Poetry Project

March 24, 2018March 24, 2018

Libera me Domine

There’s something satisfying about coming across a poem that was written this same day, 43 years ago, by my father. According to the Google, March 23, 1975 was a Sunday and Gerald Ford was president. I was 10 years old and don’t think I devoted a single thought, good or bad, to President Ford.

I confess that my Latin is lacking, so I also consulted Google for translation assistance. “Libera me, Domine” means “Deliver me, o Lord” and is a responsory sung at Roman Catholic (presumably Latin) Mass of the Dead.

On this cheery note:

March 10, 2018

A Sense of March

Progress has been a little slow this week, but I’ve scanned through “k.” Going through the poem alphabetically gives me small glimpses into dad’s evolution as a poet over time, but I’d like to look at them in chronological order at some point to better understand.

Here is one of his later poems, A Sense of March, finished on this day in 1975. He used to type on yellow paper, occasionally.

March 4, 2018

Fortunately the world is flat

My kids and I adore conspiracy theories. No, we don’t buy into (most of) them, but their sheer craziness and absurdity are things of delight. And every once in awhile, one of the theories rings true…

With that, I bring you “Fortunately the world is flat,” one of the earlier poems in the collection.

By way of update, I now have 150 poems scanned in. Starting to mull over the next steps – as themes unfold, I’m thinking that releasing as a series of volumes might be the way to go. That way we can easily add additional material (screenplays, musicals, short stories) as additional volumes. Thoughts?