byronic :: mad bad and dangerous to know

stayforthecredits:

Thanks to Sarah for sending this to me!

As a follow-up to our three-way tribute to the silent kings of comedy, we’ve produced a video essay paying tribute to the great Buster Keaton. This video is based on “Fall,” a poem by Dana Stevens, film critic for Slate. The poem originally appeared in the January 1999 issue of The Atlantic and is reprinted below. - Keyframe: The Fandor Blog.

“Fall”

By Dana Stevens

for Buster Keaton

Ever wester
ever faster
Buster, hasten
your disaster.

Film is falling,
time a twister,
sound unfurling
her nor’easter.

Scale the mast
and list to keening.
Buster, listen:
are you dreaming?

Are you falling?
Are you flying?
Buster, cinema
is dying.

Not a whisper.
Never laughter.
Buster, thank you
for disaster.