THE MANNERS OF FIRE Comments

The house of the poet Matsuo burnt down
In far away Edo, several centuries ago.
A plane tree he lovingly tended to
Survived the fire.
From then on the Buddhist monk
Went by its name on all the roads of Japan,
Basho he used to be called.

In Twis, Arkansas, in 1949,
Two men who were fighting for a woman
Died in a bar consumed by fire.
The woman's name was Lucille.
In the bar an old tractor driver from Indianola sang,
The old B.B. King
Who could only rescue his guitar,
He called it Lucille and made it famous in the Blues.

Maybe Time is that fire that merges memory
From which we only rescue love.
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