a conversation between robin and myself about the origins of this poem (in memoriam Robin Mathews : November 1, 1931 - April 25, 2023)
(in memoriam Robin Mathews : November 1, 1931 - April 25, 2023)
Transcription of bonus episode
Robin
That's a funny poem.
Claude
What's it about, do you think? What do you remember it being about? Do you recognize it as your own? ?
Robin
I do recognize it, but I don't know where it came from.
Claude
Well, you wrote it just a few weeks ago on January 1st. You talked something about the grimms myths, that deeper into the woods is a reference to that. Does that ring a bell?
Robin
Yeah. Grimm's fairy tales, I think has the line and they went deeper into the forest.
Claude
Right. So that might have been an inspiration.
Robin
Might have. Without even connecting to it.
Claude
Well, what I'll try to do is to illustrate it a bit with sound.
Robin
Oh, neat.
Claude
Yeah with some wind sounds and some of the, the sort of distant voices. It's a beautiful poem. Thank you.
Robin
Oh, good. I’m so pleased. Where did these things come from, eh?
Claude
Yeah, from the poet. It's a bit of haunting poem because it has these illusions to going under water and distant voices
Robin
And being alone
Claude
Maybe that's the way you were feeling on that day.
Robin
Don't ask me
Claude
I mean, poetry is like that, right? It just comes out and you're not sure exactly what you're feeling but the words are there
Robin
And the idea that the surface is up there somewhere and you're under it, you know?
Claude
We've had a lot of conversations over the years about poetry and political poetry. I don't know if you remember, but we did a number of interviews and you read a lot of your poems as well. I
Robin
You've got them, have you?
Claude
Yeah, I have them. You know, so maybe I'll publish some of them if that's okay with you and make them available.
Robin
Yeah.
Claude
You sent us postcards over the years you used to paint on a postcard and then write a little note and send them in the mail and so we have a whole bunch of them at home of your paintings.
Robin
Yeah. I remember. I don't know why I stopped doing that. It's kind of fun to get original postcards.
Claude
And we collected them. Maybe you ran outta landscape..
Robin
Or paint.
Claude
Or paint or postcards…
*
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Latest update on July 8, 2025
