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Tuesday 19 April 2016

Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore: The Slow Orchestra of the World

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Rehearsal of the Pasdeloup Orchestra at the Cirque d'Hiver: John Singer Sargent, 1879-80, oil on canvas, 57 x 46 cm (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

The slow orchestra of the world comes to life
in the dark dawn

beginning with the birds

The room fan purrs back and forth
pushing away heavy air

Somewhere my soul in all this
sits up and takes notice

Which is more elusive and
runs away faster

the matter world or the spirit world?

My face stops some of the air as it
blasts against my body

Now a bird outside salts the dark
with liquid sweets

I shall die in this position
listening to everything
                                                            7/27

 
Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore (b. Oakland, California, 30 July 1940 -- d. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 18 April 2016): The Slow Orchestra of the World (27 July 2007), from The Sound of Geese Over the House (The Ecstatic Exchange, 2015)

Daniel abdal-hayy moore

Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore: photo via The American Muslim, 29 November 2012

Renowned poet Daniel Abdul Hayy Moore reading at his home

Poets Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore and Ni'mah Nawwab reading after dinner at Abdal-Hayy's home in Philadelphia, 19 May 2012: photo via Ni'mah Ismail Nawwab, 24 March 2014

Spring weather Apr 19th 2016...A ship sits out in the North Sea near Tynemouth beach, North Tyneside, just before sunrise. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday April 19, 2016. Photo credit should read: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

A ship sits out in the North Sea near Tynemouth beach, North Tyneside, just before sunrise: photo by Owen Humphreys/PA. 19 April 2016

Spring weather Apr 19th 2016...A ship sits out in the North Sea near Tynemouth beach, North Tyneside, just before sunrise. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday April 19, 2016. Photo credit should read: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

A ship sits out in the North Sea near Tynemouth beach, North Tyneside, just before sunrise: photo by Owen Humphreys/PA. 19 April 2016
 
The Wider Image: In search of Don Quixote...The arid central Spanish region of La Mancha is the setting for “Don Quixote”, the seventeenth-century novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Four hundred years after his death, references to the characters of Don Quixote, his loyal squire Sancho Panza and his beautiful lady Dulcinea abound in the surrounding villages from sweet treats to theatre productions involving livestock. Cervantes did not give away the name of the birthplace of Don Quixote, a middle-aged gentleman who becomes obsessed with chivalrous ideals. But many identify the village of Argamasilla de Alba as his hometown. The anniversary of Cervantes’ death is marked on the 23 April. REUTERS/Susana Vera SEARCH "QUIXOTE VERA" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES   TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY  Matching text SPAIN-QUIXOTE/

Windmills at dusk in Campo de Criptana, where Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes might have drawn inspiration from to narrate the battle between Don Quixote and the windmills he mistook for giants: photo by Susana Vera/Reuters, 19 April 2016

The Wider Image: In search of Don Quixote...The arid central Spanish region of La Mancha is the setting for “Don Quixote”, the seventeenth-century novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Four hundred years after his death, references to the characters of Don Quixote, his loyal squire Sancho Panza and his beautiful lady Dulcinea abound in the surrounding villages from sweet treats to theatre productions involving livestock. Cervantes did not give away the name of the birthplace of Don Quixote, a middle-aged gentleman who becomes obsessed with chivalrous ideals. But many identify the village of Argamasilla de Alba as his hometown. The anniversary of Cervantes’ death is marked on the 23 April. REUTERS/Susana Vera SEARCH "QUIXOTE VERA" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES   TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY  Matching text SPAIN-QUIXOTE/

Windmills at dusk in Campo de Criptana, where Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes might have drawn inspiration from to narrate the battle between Don Quixote and the windmills he mistook for giants: photo by Susana Vera/Reuters, 19 April 2016

Sad day for us here, bringing news of the passing on the other end of the continent of a beautiful poet friend and local son, first met here on this same coastal hillside nearly a half century ago, and always palpably alive in spirit for us over these past years, an abiding, uplifting, luminous presence. Friends of this blog will remember Abdal-Hayy for his many charming, joyous, playful contributions (links to some of which may be found in the comments section below). The brightness, thoughtfulness and extreme generosity that characterized the man remained active till the end, and his final messages.  He is and will be much missed.  

Dear Tom and Angelica:


First, how are you doing?... As for me, well, new test shows that the cancer is in my bones. A lump on my scalp that grew in size, though hardish (too many ‘ishes in this note I fear) and finally needed a CT scan. I’ve been sore and weirdly overcome with weakness and dis-agility. (What word exists for agility lost?) 

But spirits high... so things are all OK by us.

Though the message may be dire,
where’s there’s smoke
there’s always fire.

More later my brother and beloved Angelica.

22 February 2016
__


Dearest tom and Angelica 

I seem to be dying after all. Cancer in my bones. Now in home hospice care. Body dwindling, spirit blooming.     
I continue my prayers for you, until I can't. All love

Abdalhayy

10 March 2016
_

Still here, now bedridden, spirits high and longing for my meeting with my lord. My prayers for you and Tom continue unabated. All love


Abdalhayy

23 March 2016



Rehearsal of the Pasdeloup Orchestra at the Cirque d'Hiver: John Singer Sargent, 1879-80, oil on canvas, 57 x 46 cm (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

8 comments:

TC said...

Abdal-Hayy graced this blog with his poetry many times over the years, most commonly in the Comments sections, but frequently also as featured poems in posts:

Wild Visitations (Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore: The Sound of Geese Over the House, 21 June 2007, posted 15 January 2016

A streak of rust (Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore: Gray Fox, 12 May 2015, posted 14 June 2015)

Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore: Cancer, 2 June 2012, posted 21 June 2013

Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore: Of My Mother, 92, with Alzheimer's (Part I), 1 April 1998. posted 15 May 2014

Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore: Baseball Stadium Epiphany, 2011, posted 2 September 2013

Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore: Faced, 1989, posted 4 September 2014

Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore: The Brother to the Dog, 10 June 2005, posted 16 November 2014

A sense of the person who made and lived the poems comes through in this brief video:

Garden Party with Poetry Reading by Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore, 30 June 2011

Nora said...

So sorry to hear of this.

TC said...

Thanks so much for testifying, Nora. A dear sweet brave indefatigably positive creative spirit. His passing a grief to many of us here, I'm sure.

Maureen said...

My sympathies. A hard loss. May he rest forever in peace.

TC said...

Thank you, Maureen.

Sandra said...

yes...I love his poems!

TC said...

Gracias, Sandra.

tpw said...

Dear TC: Sorry for the loss of someone who was so clearly a generous and enlightened soul. His "Cancer" poem is really striking. Not an easy path we're all on.