STEPHEN PROPER GREDLER
Stephen Proper Gredler was born in Ithaca, New York in 1949. His father, Charles Rogers Gredler, joined the U.S. Army Airborne after attending Cornell University for two years. When he returned he took a degree in Slavic languages. He married Eloise Electa Proper from New Jersey, who had waited for him to return. When Stephen was three months old, and his older brother, two; the family of four moved to Lexington, Massachusetts and his father took a degree from Simmons College and started as a cataloger at Harvard University’s Widener Library. His father became the Director of the Slavic Division--a silent architect of the Cold War, and built the library from 500 volumes to more than 7,000,000 volumes by the time of his retirement in 1979. During those thirty years, he was contracted by the Library of Congress to duplicate Widener’s holdings. His mother, Eloise Proper Gredler, first became a homemaker using a degree from Cornell to her best advantage, to care for four more children. In later years she started a second career-she developed a system for teaching remedial reading to children and adults, and for training parents and teachers; with an accent on the treatment of dyslexia. Mr. Gredler’s parents retired to Nelson County, Virginia in 1979. His four brothers and sister reside in Virginia, and there are nine nieces and nephews, two grandnephews and three grandnieces. - See more at: http://www.stephenpropergredler.com/index#sthash.wLR8CMXN.dpuf
From <http://www.blazevox.org/index.php/blog/bettering-american-poetry-2015-%7C-call-for-nominations-357/>
Tsunami: Genocide by Nature
Volcanic red melting seawater exploding tidal surges forcing terror to whiten silent screams searing this heartbeat.
The sudden repeated haiku as if the insistence of the emergent fear has increased the velocity of creation, locale.
Running and screaming and tracking the elephant through the village to high ground, sounds of the broken chain.
Volcanic red melting sea explode! The elephant thinks like this and the mahout is the translator of every emotion.
Sounds of the explosion travel to sensitive feet and vibration engenders fear and instinct for flight and tradition.
Thus the mahout follows this time- tidal surges forcing terror to whiten, the wide gleaming whites of the eyes.
Elephant hears the silent trumpeting scream above the tusks of his ancestors, exploding with another one.
In the background unseen noise of crumpling houses scream of the helpless friends and the low vibrating roar… .
The silent screams of history sear this heartbeat. And I think to return to help- and recant, reacting to instinct.
stephen proper gredler “Tsunami: Genocide by Nature” unpublished
www.stephenpropergredler.com
Visiting Derry Farm
It’s just a windshield
interrupting vision;
photo clicks during loading
set the steering.
We have to drive past, into
the field strewn with us,
past metallic echoes of lives
not related; uncaring.
Into a semblance of history
recalled from relatives,
and books and paintings…
creating a collage.
Of visions, interrupted
by math and nuance,
until he can be seen again
pulling a window.
Again, calling to them
asleep in the hiding place.
stephen proper gredler “Visiting Derry Farm” unpublished
www.stephenpropergredler.com
A Gift of Time, best, Galway
Tidings of Comfort and Joy; of a temperate time and wind.
It is Christ Mass of time known, a mandolin direct and discreet.
O Holy Night the stars brightly bricht, moon shining snowsun.
Blue-white transatlantic intuition given sustenance, Papyrus.
The littlest Angel. Hot bitter tears. And Poe is glad, alive again.
What does a poet do but work for thought? The pages move backward.
Perchance to changeth not. Only sometimes. Violin necessity.
Only two suicides, John Lennon. More popular than Christ.
Twenty-first century psychology- prevent protect educate.
“Angst”, I know, the case is solved. Anon and anon, best, Galway.
Angels, miracles, changeth not; “prepare their gifts of inspiration.”
Over a stable where Christ was born- morning’s rainbow of thought.
And the wand of marriage. A gift of time. A Saviour in time.
The body Jesus’ face, embrace, a heavenly light. Sight, sight!
An offering to the Infant King. A smile imperative. A music box.
Glorious universe. I moment. Myrrh, frankincense, and gold.
stephen proper gredler “A Gift of Time, best Galway unpublished
www.stephenpropergredler.com
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