The Buddha Rat

A True Account of Talking to the Sun at Fire Island

—Frank O'Hara

The Sun woke me this morning loud

and clear, saying "Hey! I've been

trying to wake you up for fifteen

minutes.  Don't be so rude, you are

only the second poet I've ever chosen

to speak to personally

                       so why

aren't you more attentive? If I could

burn you through the window I would

to wake you up.  I can't hang around

here all day."

           "Sorry, Sun, I stayed

up late last night talking to Hal."

"When I woke up Mayakovsky he was

a lot more prompt" the Sun said

petulantly.  "Most people are up

already waiting to see if I'm going

to put in an appearance."

             I tried

to apologize "I missed you yesterday."

"That's better" he said.  "I didn't

know you'd come out."  "You may be wondering why I've come so close?"

"Yes" I said beginning to feel hot

and wondering if maybe he wasn't burning me

anyway. 

       "Frankly I wanted to tell you

I like your poetry.  I see a lot

on my rounds and you're okay.  You may

not be the greatest thing on earth, but

you're different.  Now, I've heard some

say you're crazy, they being excessively

calm themselves to my mind, and other

crazy poets think that you're a boring

reactionary.  Not me.

             Just keep on

like I do and pay no attention.  You'll

find that some people always will

     complain about the atmosphere,

          either too hot

or too cold too bright or too dark, days

too short or too long.

              If you don't appear

at all one day they think you're lazy

or dead.  Just keep right on, I like it.

And don't worry about your lineage

poetic or natural.  The Sun shines on

the jungle, you know, on the tundra

the sea, the ghetto.  Wherever you were

I knew it and saw you moving.  I was waiting

for you to get to work.

             And now that you

are making your own days, so to speak,

even if no one reads you but me

you won't be depressed.  Not

everyone can look up, even at me.  It

hurts their eyes."

       "Oh Sun, I'm so grateful to you!"

"Thanks and remember I'm watching.  It's

easier for me to speak to you out

here.  I don't have to slide down

between buildings to get your ear.

I know you love Manhattan, but

you ought to look up more often.

                                 And

always embrace things, people earth

sky stars, as I do, freely and with

the appropriate sense of space.  That

is your inclination, known in the heavens

and you should follow it to hell, if

necessary, which I doubt.

                                Maybe we'll

speak again in Africa, of which I too

am specially fond.  Go back to sleep now

Frank, and I may leave a tiny poem

in that brain of yours as my farewell."

"Sun, don't go!"  I was awake

at last.  "No, go I must, they're calling

me." 

       "Who are they?"

                              Rising he said "Some

day you'll know.  They're calling to you

too."  Darkly he rose, and then I slept.