francEyE - Frances Dean Smith has died. (1 Viewer)

bospress.net

www.bospress.net
Hi,

i just got word that FrancEye died yesterday. Her health declined rapidly and I hear that she died peacefully yesterday.

Bill
 
Well - thanks Bill. You know what I mean.
 
Thanks, Bill! At least she lived a long interesting life, and she created some good poems too.

FrancEye 1922 - 2009. R.I.P.
 
from what I've read and seen, she was a good person who lived life on her own terms, which is a lot harder than it sounds.

I'll be thinking of her and Marina tonight.
 
really nice one about her (hope it's cool to post this)

One for Old Snaggle-Tooth

I know a woman
who keeps buying puzzles
chinese
puzzles
blocks
wires
pieces that finally fit
into some order.
she works it out
mathematically
she solves all her
puzzles
lives down by the sea
puts sugar out for the ants
and believes
ultimately
in a better world.
her hair is white
she seldom combs it
her teeth are snaggled
and she wears loose shapeless
coveralls over a body most
women would wish they had.
for many years she irritated me
with what I considered her
eccentricities -
like soaking eggshells in water
(to feed the plants so that
they'd get calcium).
but finally when I think of her
life
and compare it to other lives
more dazzling, original
and beautiful
I realize that she has hurt fewer
people than anybody I know
(and by hurt I simply mean hurt).
she has had some terrible times,
times when maybe I should have
helped her more
for she is the mother of my only
child
and we were once great lovers,
but she has come through
like I said
she has hurt fewer people than
anybody I know,
and if you look at it like that,
well,
she has created a better world.
she has won.

Frances, this poem is for
you.
 
Is that poem in one of the collections? I can't find it in the data base.
Nice poem btw...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
i couldn't find it in the db either - maybe the published title's different? i googled that title and found it posted somewhere. i only know it from a live reading.
 
This is a shock to me.
Wanted to ask her to submit
poetry for buk scene #2.

It seems she has lived a full life.

My thoughts are with Marina, friends and the family.
 
Yes, a long and fullfilled life indeed.
My first thought was of Marina too.
But then - Frances seemed to have been a great person also.

"she has hurt fewer people than
anybody I know"
 
It's in Love Is a Dog From Hell and RWTH.

It's in the database:
One For Old Snaggle-Tooth


I've always thought it was a great poem & a great tribute.

R.I.P.

That's funny, I wrote "one for old snaggle-tooth" and "one for old snaggle tooth", and none of them gave any result in the database. I guess you have to start each word with a capital letter then, because I did'nt.
Thanks, MDR!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
here's a poem franceye wrote. i found it on her blog. franceye.blogspot.com

I WANNA KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE TO DIE

I wanna know what it's like to die.
Will I see Skye? Will I really
fly? Will I never be able to taste tiramisu again
and are there pleasures after death greater than taste? Soon I'll find
out,
of course, but I'd like to know about it while I'm still
alive. This little pain in the middle of my chest
annoys me; is it trying to tell me not to worry? Well, really,
worried I'm not; I'm inquisitive. No
answers in sight, I believe, so I think I'll lie down and
close my mind to all that, think about
Leonard Cohen.

francEyE
 
Francis Dean Smith Memorial

Greetings:
Memorial Services
SUNDAY June 14, 2009
1:00 PM The Church in Ocean Park
235 Hill Street Santa Monica, Ca. 90405

We miss our neighbor now
we miss her sound now
we missed nothing then
thank you
 
June 21st is the correct date.

Memorial Service
Sunday June 21st, 2009
1:00 PM The Church in Ocean Park
235 Hill Street Santa Monica, Ca. 90405

here's a poem franceye wrote. i found it on her blog. franceye.blogspot.com

In 'I Wanna Know What It's Like To Die' Skye is her daughter that died in 2004 at the age of 46. FrancEyE actually had 5 daughters, Marina being the youngest. I am the third of the five and flew from DC to see her before she died. Thank you all for your kind thoughts.
 
The following is from the biography of CB by Barry Miles, which I'm currently reading:

[CB told the Webbs]: 'Frances is a good woman.' But he went on to complain that she had what he called a 'coffeehouse attitude' and appeared determined to save and understand all mankind. (from page 138)

This was when she was pregnant with Marina. In many ways, the world needs more of this 'coffeehouse attitude' ... when it's in the right proportion, perhaps ... DaP
 
I may have missed a thread, so please point me to the correct one if it exists. Cold Dogs is probably the one "book" that Bukowski had the most control over, for whatever reason. Anyway, on the dedication page (see below) he refers to her as Frances Bukowski. Was this some kind of a proposal that was subsequently rejected? And what about him saying she typed the poems? That seems very odd at best....

IMG_20180106_0005.jpg
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top