Old Friend
‘Pebble dude’ combed the beach mornings,
collected bright stones and abalone shells,
some days played blues guitar by the wharf
and others he depicted boat, sea, sky
and brushed spontaneous calligraphy.
He photoed how a succulent unwraps
staggered leaves of mystic invitation
and found in astrologic signs and Hebrew
letter a cosmic numeral ecstasy.
He delved radio signals he learned about
in war but pointed a finger other ways,
of shortwave set and well-tuned automobile,
but told me that beyond measure he loved
his wife, his daughter, son and grandkids,
and all his family and friends despite
his moods, and he repeated this to me,
his weed-smiling eyes denying cancer,
before they opened on infinity.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1943, Eli Ben-Joseph was stationed at the Presidio in 1966 and lived in Monterey in the early 1970s. His poem “Old Friend” memorializes long-time Monterey resident Dale Farmer. Ben-Joseph’s poetry has appeared in Voices Israel Anthology, Cyclamens and Swords, The Deronda Review and the anthology Thinking Translation (2008). Now retired, his wife and he live in Nahariya, Israel.
‘Pebble dude’ combed the beach mornings,
collected bright stones and abalone shells,
some days played blues guitar by the wharf
and others he depicted boat, sea, sky
and brushed spontaneous calligraphy.
He photoed how a succulent unwraps
staggered leaves of mystic invitation
and found in astrologic signs and Hebrew
letter a cosmic numeral ecstasy.
He delved radio signals he learned about
in war but pointed a finger other ways,
of shortwave set and well-tuned automobile,
but told me that beyond measure he loved
his wife, his daughter, son and grandkids,
and all his family and friends despite
his moods, and he repeated this to me,
his weed-smiling eyes denying cancer,
before they opened on infinity.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1943, Eli Ben-Joseph was stationed at the Presidio in 1966 and lived in Monterey in the early 1970s. His poem “Old Friend” memorializes long-time Monterey resident Dale Farmer. Ben-Joseph’s poetry has appeared in Voices Israel Anthology, Cyclamens and Swords, The Deronda Review and the anthology Thinking Translation (2008). Now retired, his wife and he live in Nahariya, Israel.