Lengthy handwritten poem in pencil by Bob Dylan, signed "Dylan," four pages, 8.5 x 11, taken from his circa 1960 'Poems Without Titles' penned while at the University of Minnesota. The long, playful poem is written in a two-column format and tells a circular tale of youthful lusts, loves, and conquests. Chronicling a wheel of ex-girlfriends by the names of Judy, Ione, Carol, Barbara, another Judy, and Adele before a final return to Judy #1, the poem begins:
"Once upon a time there was
Judy
and she said
hi to me
when no one else
could take the time—
And she was small
and cute—and tempting
and I thought I
loved
her
and I wrote to
her
but she broke me
up
when she didn't
write back—and
I died for a year."
Other girls wore rings on their fingers, had parents that liked him, and left him confused:
"And I lost
myself
not in
tears,
you understand
but in memory
of identity."
In the end he returns to Judy, and
"the circle
starts over."
The poem concludes:
"I don't fit in anymore
I'm lost
And my trouble is…
I know it."
In fine condition.
The young Dylan's composition is not only lyrically rich—often evoking the bawdy imagery common in traditional folk and blues—but visually interesting. In the mode of e. e. cummings, Dylan composes the poem in a stilted, two-column form that frequently places single words on their own line, giving them an emphatic punch: "Loved," "Her," "Insane," "Me," "Soul," "Time," "Night," "Changed," "Feelings," "Temptation," "Hate," and "Tears" are among the words that stand alone—just as the poet fears will be his fate, now that he no longer fits in. While the poem's opening line foretells a fairytale ending, the closing lines suggest an epiphany of maturity—the fables of youth have been replaced by the realities of adulthood.
Bob Dylan Poem Copyright © 2022 Babinda Music
Provenance: Christie’s, 11/21/05
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