Tree honoring Poet Bernadette Mayer, St. Mark's Church courtyard - photo by Phil Good
A tree has been planted honoring Bernadette Mayer in the historic courtyard of St. Mark's Church-in-the -Bowery. It is near a tree honoring American playwright Sam Shepard, whose first plays were performed at the church's Theater Genesis in the mid sixties, he also married first wife Olan there in a raucous wedding ceremony in 1969. The courtyard is also home to the burial vaults of Peter Stuyvesant - Director General of the colony of New Amsterdam, as well as Daniel D. Tompkins - Vice President of the United States under President James Monroe. I'd always found the courtyard a good place to escape the city's pace, meditate and perhaps catch a thread of poetry's frayed fabric. Most likely, I will never see Bernadette's tree in person but I am happy knowing it is there. Its blossoms will be red come the Spring.
Today we honor Bernadette's memory at the completion date of her life's work. I was stumped on how I'd honor her this week until I found myself listening to Frank Zappa's version of Stairway to Heaven. In the late 80's Bernadette taught writing at a junior college on Staten Island. Her students, she said, were a challenge but she was able to negotiate a bargain with them. If they ploughed through all the required course work quickly she'd teach any poet they wanted. They chose Jim Morrison of The Doors. During the years of endless discussions on what we were reading, I'd often mention reading Morrison's poems and she'd mention that, as she prepared for her teaching of said poet/singer she got to like his work quite a bit. She also told me that both Lou Reed & Patti Smith were quite serious about poetry and attended many readings at the church. Patti even took Bernadette's legendary (1971-1974) workshop. Some years ago I read an interview where Bernadette mentioned teaching Jim Morrison's verse & Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven - telling the interviewer that Stairway to Heaven was actually a very good poem, which surprised me. So today I choose to honor my great friend, mentor and love from many lifetimes with this beautiful, emotion packed version of Stairway to Heaven. Watch it...and...as they say...wait for it. I know Bernadette would love this.
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