{"id":17702,"date":"2013-07-19T14:56:47","date_gmt":"2013-07-19T22:56:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/?p=17702"},"modified":"2013-07-19T14:56:47","modified_gmt":"2013-07-19T22:56:47","slug":"where-poetry-and-music-meet-levon-helm-and-tracy-k-smith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/2013-07\/where-poetry-and-music-meet-levon-helm-and-tracy-k-smith\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Poetry and Music Meet — Levon Helm and Tracy K. Smith"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The late, great Levon Helm<\/strong> of The Band<\/strong> inspired many, including poets. Read below Tracy K. Smith’s <\/strong>poem Alternate Take: Levon Helm<\/strong><\/em>, and then watch what Smith<\/strong> meant about Levon<\/strong> in the last stanza of the poem.\u00a0 Helm <\/strong>passed away 15 months ago and is still sorely missed. RIP Levon.<\/p>\n

Alternate Take: Levon Helm<\/strong><\/em>
\nby Tracy K. Smith<\/strong><\/p>\n

“I\u2019ve been beating my head all day long on the same six lines,
\nSnapped off and whittled to nothing like the nub of a pencil
\nChewed up and smoothed over, yellow paint flecking my teeth.<\/p>\n

And this whole time a hot wind\u2019s been swatting down my door,
\nSpat from his mouth and landing smack against my ear.
\nAll day pounding the devil out of six lines and coming up dry<\/p>\n

While he drives donuts through my mind\u2019s back woods with that
\nDirt-road voice of his, kicking up gravel like a runaway Buick.
\nHe asks Should I come in with that back beat, and whatever those<\/p>\n

Six lines were bothered by skitters off like water in hot grease.
\nCome in with your lips stretched tight and that pig-eyed grin,
\nBass mallet socking it to the drum. Lay it down like you know<\/p>\n

You know how, shoulders hiked nice and high, chin tipped back,
\nSo the song has to climb its way out like a man from a mine.”<\/p>\n