The Canio's Books Blog

Word reached us that poet Harvey Shapiro died on January 7, 2013.  Harvey, a longtime and loyal customer of the bookshop, read at Canio’s several times from his various collections including How Charlie Shavers Died and Other Poems; The Sights Along the Harbor, and the volume he edited:  Poets of World War II published by The Library of America.  Here’s one from The Sights Along the Harbor.

To Nature

Sun gilding each lance-like pine needle.

One needs to have a proper attitude of respect

as a Jew only recently out of his village in Russia

would have had when he first ventured

from the Lower East Side on to broad Fifth Avenue.

My eyes are wide. I lift my cap.

We lift our cap to Harvey, who always had a ready smile and affable way about him, who supported other poets, and who seemed to remain just a regular guy even though his many prestigious accomplishments lift him above the crowd.