Thursday, July 23, 2009

the poet peddler

I saw him last week for the first time
sitting on the cement, leaning against a wall near the co-op.
At Farmer's Market yesterday
he had moved to a bench.
People stop and spend time with him.
Sometimes he types away on that manual typewriter.
I haven't spoken with him yet. 

25 comments:

Jane Hards Photography said...

You got to speak to him. I'm intrigued. Who carries a typewriter around these days and why? Great wistful portrait.

B SQUARED said...

Very strange fellow. And a typewriter. I thought they had all but vanished.

VP said...

I have seen strange types peddling everything everywhere, but this is my first poet on demand. Great catch and really a beautiful portrait.

Lowell said...

A poet on a bench
Is a heart-wrenching
Scene...

I'd stop to talk
He doesn't look
Mean.


Fascinating post, Brattcat!

Cezar and Léia said...

Bonjour dear Brattcat
I agree with B Squared, I think this poet had all but vanished!
God bless you
Léia

Bonjour Luxembourg

Malyss said...

In France we often say that to be good, a poet must be damned, cursed. The best poetries would be the ones born in pain...
If it's true, your young poet must write well..
Anyway, he already succeded to make us all asking questions about him, wondering who he is, and how he arrived where he is.
In a way, he is himself a poem...

brattcat said...

Spoken like a poet, Malyss.

Anonymous said...

Interesting photo. And I'm of course reminded of the scene from the movie Before Sunrise where the two young lovers encounter a poet-panhandler on the streets of Paris. Youtube has the clip HERE.

Anonymous said...

His shoes are a dead giveaway. He is not a politician.

Audrey is on Pick a Peck of Pixels. You saw her with green peas all over her face. Now, see her at 9 with her hair blowing in the wind. Be part of history. Become a Follower or leave a comment. Tell you friends. Link up. Pick a Peck of Pixels

brattcat said...

Abe...this is the home of Bernie Sanders. You can't tell a politician by his shoes in Vermont.

brattcat said...

Thanks for the link, Brian. To everyone, the next time I see the poet peddler I promise I will try to summon the nerve to sit beside him and talk with him awhile.

Julie said...

You have captured him so well, BC. His beard and hair are very Byronic yet dressed like a student. His stance is very emotive.

I love the confusion of the sign ... free or name your price, I wonder if knowing more will be disappointing?

Sheila said...

I come from a small town and have never heard of a poet peddler.

henny said...

I,too, was reminded by your poet Before Sunrise movie. The girl requested a poem with "ice cream" in it if I'm not mistaken, but it's not a free poem :). I just envy you all who understand poem. Like others, I'm intrigued too.

Caffeinated Weka said...

I'm still not brave enough to approach people and take photos of them for my project, so I tend to go for larger, more generic scenes. What are people's reaction when you ask them for a pic? And how do you best go about it?

Unknown said...

Great capture! And I agree with all regarding the person and the typewriter!

Saretta said...

Only in Brattleboro...and Paris, I guess! :-)

Shammickite said...

Free poems, but name your price???
Did you ask to take his picture?

brattcat said...

Shammickite, I didn't ask to take his picture. I am incredibly shy about such things. So this photo was taken at a distance.
Cafe Chick, I am the last person to ask advice on this. Ask Steffe. He does such a beautiful job with portraits and approaching people he doesn't know to take their photographs.
Henny, it was a milkshake and that's such a great scene, isn't it?
Julie, so far the story just gets more interesting. I went yesterday to find him again. No poet, but people who wanted to talk about him, and about their own lives. It was such an illuminating hour or so.

henny said...

Milkshake? I think I must watch it again, say for the 4th time? :). Thanks, Brattcat.

Rob Siemann said...

Didn't Shakespeare do this for a while, if I remember well?

Julie said...

I am glad you asked and discovered that people are only too happy to chat to you. That is what I have found during my Strangers project. Once I did the first few and had a technique, it became so much easier. And the quirkier the person the more willing they are. If you show interest in them and tell them why you would like their photo. It is all in choosing the subject wisely ... go for it!

Binoy Mathew said...

Iso stricking that you saw something odd in the crowd... this one touch...

slim said...

This is a fantastic post, BC. "The poet peddler" has piqued our curiosity.

Stefan Jansson said...

Different. And fascinating.