Two poems by Ghislaine Chock ... Bamboo Ridge issue #94 reading Nov. 23 at UH
The new Bamboo Ridge collection, Issue #94, launches this Monday evening (November 23) at the UH Campus Center Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public, with a reception at 7 p.m. and reading at 7:30 p.m.
Featured readers: Ann Inoshita, Brenda Kwon, Michael Little, Wing Tek Lum, Alexei Melnick, Tyler Miranda, Janine Oshiro, K. L. Quilantang, Jr., Joseph Stanton, Delaina Thomas, and Kahikahealani Wight.
I want to spotlight two poems from the book, written by Ghislaine Chock. I asked Ghislaine to comment on the creation of these two poems and the inspiration for them.
"The creation of these poems came naturally," she explains. "I learned from Eric that even if you are not a poet one can express feelings, moments, emotions, etc. through poetry. I am more than fortunate to live with a poet. Poets are able to make you understand and see the world through their keen eyes with exquisite sensitivity. That is their function."
Ghislaine agreed to share her poetry here.
"The Phone"
At the beginning of our courtship
I would on occasion spend the night
at Eric’s small studio.
Yes, I lived in sin.
I was not married.
But I could not resist.In the middle of our first night
the phone rang.
Eric swiftly got out of bed to answer.
All I could hear were things like,
“How many?”
“That one, $5.00.”
“How you gonna pay?”
“By when do you need it?”
“I can deliver—your address please?”
I was thinking worriedly,
Drug dealing!!!
Eric hung up and returned to bed.
“Sorry—it was Bamboo Ridge.”
I was thinking,
Bamboo, what an unusual first name.
And what was so important that Bamboo could not wait till morning!Soon enough, I got to meet Bamboo.
Eric’s phone was the Bamboo Ridge connection.
That phone became part of many nocturnal rendezvous.
And here's the second poem:
"The Office"
Eric’s office is my favorite room to vacuum.
It takes less then one minute.As you enter, you go straight ahead to the computer table
through a width space of 24 inches.
Take a sharp right turn
passing in front of Eric’s desk
till you reach—you guessed it,
the phone center, with our home phone, the Bamboo Ridge phone,
the answering machines, the fax machine, the phone books, the
recycled paper to take the messages,
and one pen.
Oh, I forgot, one pair of glasses, a recent addition.When Eric goes teaching to the neighbor islands
I am in charge of answering the Bamboo Ridge line.
I fear each time that I will delete important messages,
perhaps deleting the most important one
that generates life or death for Bamboo Ridge
and I would be the cause of a disaster.After hitting the “play button” on the answering machine
I kneel on the floor, you know, Japanese-style
like in a meditating position.
It feels like praying.
My eyes closed,
I listen intensely.
Then, write the message clearly, using an empty cardboard fax box as a
table on the floor
for lack of office desk space.
Some messages are simply incomprehensible.
I rewind again, and again,
so that I can write the message accurately.
And at the end, “No can do for that one.”
Somehow, Eric returns,
listens to the same message,
and skillfully deciphers what was said.
Without grumble.I am not allowed to move, reposition, or touch anything in the office.
All stacks of notes, books, papers, boxes, piles and piles of stuff
have “an order.”
It is there for “a reason.”
Fortunately, I am allowed to pick up
the long, silky, beautiful black hair on his carpet.
Ghislaine continues, "I thought about our early beginning as lovers and remembered my introduction to the phone, and to my poet’s world. How I slowly became entrusted to pick up messages…
"Communication and trust are parts of a relationship. In conclusion, I actually like how these poems fashioned themselves, and presented a little piece of romance from our early days."
I gave Eric a chance to comment on the poems, so here's Eric Chock with the last word:
"In partial defense of my past behavior, we did not exactly 'live in sin' as the poem implies, at least not in the sense that I normally think of. We did not live together at all during that period. We did date and, after a while, spend some nights together, but only on weekends. Probably more information than anyone needed to know. That's just part of the confusion of living with someone who's a second-language speaker where translations always leave something out, or add something else in."
Thank you, Ghislaine and Eric!
Tags: Eric Chock, Ghislaine Chock, poetry, Romance
