1. How I learned about John Berryman (1914-1972)
May 17, 2012 The Ball Poem
Strange, yesterday I was looking through the What is the boy now, who has lost his ball,
Kenyon Review website, the place David Foster What, what is he to do? I saw it go
Wallace gave his famous, Commencement address, Merrily bouncing, down the street, and then
after sending friend a list of writing journals and I Merrily over--there it is in the water!
came across a picture of a man, John No use to say 'O there are other balls':
Berryman. Today, the rain was coming down An ultimate shaking grief fixes the boy
outside and I was moving some old books and As he stands rigid, trembling, staring down
shelves in my room, when a book fell on the floor, All his young days into the harbour where
you know one of those high school literature His ball went. I would not intrude on him,
anthology books, a big book. It hit the floor hard and A dime, another ball, is worthless. Now
fell open and who do I see, John Berryman, in his He senses first responsibility
long beard and on the facing page, The Ball Poem. I In a world of possessions. People will take
didn't know who he was, so I pulled up a chair, and balls,
why not, these kinds of coincidences don't happen Balls will be lost always, little boy,
every day. The poem for some odd reason moved And no one buys a ball back. Money is
me. "Balls will be lost always, little boy, And no one external.
buys a ball back. Money is external.” He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes,
The epistemology of loss, how to stand up
Knowing what every man must one day know
And most know many days, how to stand up
And gradually light returns to the street
A whistle blows, the ball is out of sight,
Soon part of me will explore the deep and dark
Floor of the harbour . . I am everywhere,
I suffer and move, my mind and my heart
move
With all that move me, under the water
Or whistling, I am not a little boy.
James Williams