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The Ballad of Alice Blue Gown

Inspired by the landscape and folklore of the Carolinas and Shenandoah Valley
Bernard Block

Bernard Block

1 Min Read

The Ballad of Alice Blue Gown

Alice Blue Gown walked with him

Fell asleep on lap of Jim

Alice Blue Gown trusted him

She sunk into the thigh of Jim

Fragile wire of the moon

Strung across the lace of sky

Folded cross the face of Jim

Sunk into the thigh of him

He folded Alice in a sigh

The world of light folded dim

Alice folded in the thigh of Jim

She dreamed fire, she dreamed sky

She heard a voice, a fragile tune

Strung across the face of sky

Glistening in a lace of moon

Embroidered in a lace of sky

She heard the voice of Eden’s light

She heard the voice of Eden’s fire

She saw a tablet, a drop of rain

She heard the pedal of desire

Alice awoke in the lap of Jim

She awoke to his dim gaze

He said she was a stranger now

She was a shadow in his Blue Gaze

Alice Blue Gown walked with him

Fell asleep on lap of Jim

Alice Blue Gown trusted him

She sunk into the thigh of Jim

Author(s)

  • Bernard Block

    Bernard Block was born and raised in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and attended Cornell University and Brooklyn College. He hitch-hiked to California in 1965 and lived in the Haight-Ashbury through 1967 where he gave poetry readings at the I and Thou Coffee Shop, North Beach coffee houses and Golden Gate Park. He returned to NYC and studied with the poet Colette Inez in the mid '70's. He earned his living as a caseworker with the Bureau of Child Welfare in New York City (he is now retired). Bernard has read at all the major spoken-word venues in NYC. He has presented his poetry in venues in Philadelphia, Columbia, SC and Asheville, NC. In August, 2014 he was invited to feature in Laugharne, South Wales in celebration of the centenary of Dylan Thomas’ birth. Bernard curates and hosts the Series “From Whitman to Ginsberg” at Cornelia St. Café. There have been 21 editions of this Series; the most recent was presented on September 28, 2018. All 21 editions were videotaped and can be accessed on his YouTube Channel. He has had 38 poems published in the prestigious European on-line literary journal Levure Littéraire #8, #9 and #12 (Editors: Rodica Draghincescu; Erika Dagnino). Five of Bernard's poems appear in the French/English literary journal Recours au Poème (Editor: Marilyne Bertoncini) with French translation by Elizabeth Brunazzi. In an article in this journal regarding the NYC poetry scene, Ms. Brunazzi devotes a significant discussion to Bernard's poetry and his organizing role on that scene. Bernard Block’s book of poetry "Am I My Brother’s Keeper?" has been released by Dark Light Publishing. This is a bilingual edition, English/Spanish, with evocative translations by the eminent Mexican poet, Roberto Mendoza Ayala. It is available on Amazon and from the author: [email protected]