Marc and I were close friends for many years up until the end of his life. We corresponded in writing and over the phone regularly, and my husband Bob and I visited Marc and his partner David in Walnut Creek, near San Francisco, about 10 years ago. The last 2-3 years he was on kidney dialysis. In April, he had a stroke. He spent the last week or so of his life in hospice care and died peacefully with a very close friend at his side. Marc loved classical music and literature, and spent much of his time listening to his wonderful collection of music and reading through his collection of books--collections which grew continuously. He was a poet who wrote 9 books of poetry as well as a book of essays. Marc would often spend part of his day at a tea house drinking tea, watching and conversing with people, and writing poetry. He tried to produce a poem a day. I personally found his poetry very present and accesible, often beautiful, and full of feeling. Here is one of his poems that I like a lot, from his third book, Shark's Tooth:
TUESDAY
Azure and hazel gazes glimmer gem-like
as I sroll through delectable morning
Blouses balloon in ragged breeze while
Christmas lights scintillate in sycamores
In a tea bar Darjeeling flowers on my tongue
while my words bounce and rattle like pebbles
down the river of this day
which seems inexhaustible
which carries along
baby carriages, glances, mustaches, hats,
salutations, and movie marquees
Afternoon arrives like a woman in a boa
trailing astonished onlookers
We dally touching the fringes of her skirt
Eventually cities, steeples, and broad plains form
Mark Sherkow
My Friend Marc Hofstadter, by Mark Sherkow
Marc and I were close friends for many years up until the end of his life. We corresponded in writing and over the phone regularly, and my husband Bob and I visited Marc and his partner David in Walnut Creek, near San Francisco, about 10 years ago. The last 2-3 years he was on kidney dialysis. In April, he had a stroke. He spent the last week or so of his life in hospice care and died peacefully with a very close friend at his side. Marc loved classical music and literature, and spent much of his time listening to his wonderful collection of music and reading through his collection of books--collections which grew continuously. He was a poet who wrote 9 books of poetry as well as a book of essays. Marc would often spend part of his day at a tea house drinking tea, watching and conversing with people, and writing poetry. He tried to produce a poem a day. I personally found his poetry very present and accesible, often beautiful, and full of feeling. Here is one of his poems that I like a lot, from his third book, Shark's Tooth:
TUESDAY
Azure and hazel gazes glimmer gem-like
as I sroll through delectable morning
Blouses balloon in ragged breeze while
Christmas lights scintillate in sycamores
In a tea bar Darjeeling flowers on my tongue
while my words bounce and rattle like pebbles
down the river of this day
which seems inexhaustible
which carries along
baby carriages, glances, mustaches, hats,
salutations, and movie marquees
Afternoon arrives like a woman in a boa
trailing astonished onlookers
We dally touching the fringes of her skirt
Eventually cities, steeples, and broad plains form
in the underbellies of clouds
Though you may allow rain soon oh day
your subsequent chapters are unknown
and therefore magical to me
You surge like the Pacific in a cove
Ring the air like a carillon
I'm going to stick with you faithfullly
Allow me to place my coat
so you may pass gracefully over the gutter