Three Poems by Martin Willitts Jr.: In the High Hills, Futagawa, Blake, Even Into Death

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Futagawa Based on the series by Ando Hiroshige, The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido, picture #34 1. Cider trees on low hills, too much temptation, get drunk seeing them. 2. Teahouse and rice cakes reminds me empty stomach, empty pockets. 3. Which is poorer? Me; or, the soil? Both are tossed easily into air. 4. Only small pines, shrubs, monotonous walking, numb travelers. 5. I eat dirt, pretend its sweet rice cake, almost taste it. 6. Someone is drinking what I cannot afford, but I fill with hope, anyway.
Blake, Even Into Death Blake is said to have cried, "Stay Kate! Keep just as you are – I will draw your portrait – for you have ever been an angel to me." Having completed this portrait (now lost), Blake laid down his tools and began to sing hymns and verses. Shall I draw you near me? Shall I sketch you into my heart? Shall I lift your face from paper to heaven? O tell me the reasons for “Why”. Shall the angels meet me? Please do not cry. I have been with them all my life; now I leave you behind. O tell me the reasons for “Why”. Shall I leave this world to a happy place? Shall the world be better when I am gone? My heart is tracing your memory, and now it fills with Love to belong. O tell me the reasons for “Why”. Stay, stay right where you are. Stay long as you can; but I have to move on. To where I am going, I do not know. To where I am going, you soon will be. My heart is full of angel trumpets, telling me the reasons for “why.”

Three Poems
by Martin Willitts Jr.

In the High Hills

In the high hills, trees shake their fists
to the surprise of sky.

What transgressions have I committed?

Blackbirds are blown through sky
into the other world
where things are never empty,
filling the landscape —
more —
into necessary readings.

In this other world,
distance is unknown —
no one has a word for it.

I want to go there soon,
soon as I am taken.

Futagawa

Based on the series by Ando Hiroshige,
The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido, picture #34

Cider trees on low hills,
too much temptation,
get drunk seeing them.

Teahouse and rice cakes
reminds me
empty stomach, empty pockets.

Which is poorer?
Me; or, the soil?
Both are tossed easily into air.

Only small pines, shrubs,
monotonous walking,
numb travelers.

I eat dirt,
pretend its sweet rice cake,
almost taste it.

Someone is drinking
what I cannot afford,
but I fill with hope, anyway.

Blake, Even Into Death
Blake is said to have cried, "Stay Kate! Keep just as you are – I will draw your portrait – for you have ever been an angel to me." Having completed this portrait (now lost), Blake laid down his tools and began to sing hymns and verses.

Shall I draw you near me?
Shall I sketch you into my heart?
Shall I lift your face from paper to heaven?
O tell me the reasons for “Why”.

Shall the angels meet me? Please do not cry.
I have been with them all my life;
now I leave you behind.
O tell me the reasons for “Why”.

Shall I leave this world to a happy place?
Shall the world be better when I am gone?
My heart is tracing your memory,
and now it fills with Love to belong.

O tell me the reasons for “Why”.
Stay, stay right where you are.
Stay long as you can;
but I have to move on.

To where I am going, I do not know.
To where I am going, you soon will be.
My heart is full of angel trumpets,
telling me the reasons for “why.”

Martin Willitts Jr. is a retired Senior Librarian living in Syracuse, New York. He is currently tutoring fourth grade students, evaluates Prior Learning Evaluations for SUNY Empire State College. He has four full-length collections and more than 20 chapbooks of poetry, nominated for five Pushcarts and three Best Of The Net awards. His forthcoming poetry books include Waiting For The Day To Open Its Wings (UNBOUND Content), Art Is the Impression of an Artist (Edgar and Lenore's Publishing House), City Of Tents (Crisis Chronicles Press), Swimming In the Ladle of Stars (Kattywompus Press),. He's also the winner of the inaugural Wild Earth Poetry Contest for his full length collection Searching For What Is Not There (Hiraeth Press).