Cosmic background radiation
hisses from the phonograph
as you dance
in a long satin dress, black,
holding scotch neat,
inviting me with your hips
to feel the irresistible pull
of dark matter
collapsing into a kiss.
A diamond needle spirals
inward to the groove.
The only sound is a hiss.
~William Hammett
SITE MAP
The man sits on the porch that is dying.
The screens cannot be mended,
and the wood sags deeper than the dog.
The man tells stories, old stories
about a swing and a rock and a jar of toads.
Children listen while the sun
slides from a leaf at the edge of the woods.
A fox, because he is in the habit of stopping, listens.
“I married young,” the man says,
“but my wife died for no apparent reason.
She was buried under a new moon
by a preacher who was pale
and spoke water and stones and nonsense.
I also came to many conclusions about the seasons,
which often trade places with each other.”
The fox knows this to be true and moves on.
The dog, however, has heard this before and sleeps.
“I have given back everything I stole,” the man says.
“Nearly.” He unscrews a jar,
and the children feel more alive and hopeful,
though they do not understand why.
They are almost certain the man has died.
They walk home with old stories,
thinking of water and stones and nonsense.
The light is gone from the leaf,
but the evening is full of toads.
~William Hammett
SITE MAP
The silver rings pass through each other,
the magician pulling them east and west
with a double-hitch of his hands
to show they are locked fast, like lovers.
And then they are divorced,
circles no longer sharing the quotidian mystery
of day and night sliding into each other
as they trace infinity along the equator.
The magician returns home
after the sun has fallen over the rim.
He says nothing to his wife as they eat
on opposite sides of the round kitchen table.
~William Hammett
SITE MAP
Let if be when,
and let when be whenever
the carrier churns its wake
into a frothy Arabian dream.
The children on the roof,
the old men talking coffee and kief,
will be born again
when the afterburners scream.
And then we shall all wake
and thank mighty Zeus
that the wooden horse could lock and load
on the peasant's curtain door.
We will be grateful
that adulterous Ilium burns once more,
that Cassandra's tales of collateral misery|
were the first casualties of war.
~William Hammett
SITE MAP
You may contact William Hammett confidentially at either of the following addresses:
bhammett451@gmail.com
or
hammettpoetry@gmail.com
SITE MAP
William Hammett has been a ghostwriter and editor for twenty years, and the link to his professional website may be found in the sidebar on this site. He has also written novels, poetry, and short fiction under his own name. He received Masters degrees in English and Education from the University of New Orleans and taught writing and literature at the University of New Orleans, St. Mary's Dominican College, Delgado Community College, and Archbishop Chapelle High School.
Hammett published short fiction and poetry in numerous literary journals around the country, including American Poets & Poetry, Poem, The Rockford Review, Pegasus, Twilight Ending, Parnassus Literary Journal, Black Buzzard Review, Lynx, Rose and Thorn, Poetry, and dozens of others. He edited the Gold Newsletter (Blanchard and Co.,) and wrote color pieces for weekly New Orleans newspapers such as Figaro.
He wrote the novel John Lennon and the Mercy Street Cafe, which was read by former members of the Beatles' inner circle. It was also taught in courses on magical realism at several universities around the United States. His latest collaboration is American Coup with U.S. Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver. The mas market paperback edition will be released on June 29, 2021. Some of his literary and philosophical influences are Tom Robbins, Kurt Vonnegut, Teilhard de Chardin, Billy Collins, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and novelist and family friend Walked Percy.
William Hammett is cousin of legendary mystery novelist Dashiell Hammett. Their common ancestor is Mckelvie Hammett. Mckelvie had several children. One of his sons have birth to William's line, and another gave birth to Dashiell's. Both lines originated in Maryland. Hammett began reading detective fiction as a child, and was encouraged by Perry Mason author Erle Stanley Gardner to pursue writing when he was older.
Hammett is a patron of St. Joseph Abbey (Covington, LA) and Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans. He advocates for mental health, the elderly, environmental responsibility, and the fight against world hunger. He has written extensively about and for people who have survived and extricated themselves from extremely abusive and dysfunctional relationships. His brother is a Benedictine priest who has for fifty years created ministries for the needy and marginalized in southeastern Louisiana.
His son, Patrick Hammett, majored in classical guitar at SLU. He then received a Masters degree and state licensing and certification in marriage and family therapy and is currently clinical director at Longbranch Mental Health Facility in Abita, Louisiana, where his areas of expertise include drug rehab and suicide prevention. Like his father, he is an amateur musician and plays classical, folk, rock, blues, and jazz.
Hammett has ghostwritten for Hollywood celebrities both in front and behind the camera (e.g., "Everyone Loves Raymond," "The Simpsons," and The Wolf of Wall Street), politicians (U.S. senators and congressmen and congresswomen, White House staffers, etc.), CEOs, professional athletes, and published authors of fiction and nonfiction.
The elder Hammett's interests include classic literature, astronomy, music, the guitar, lucid dreaming, theology, Ken Burns documentaries, swimming, philanthropy, film, political accountability, vinyl albums, and the many cultural influences of New Orleans, Louisiana. His goal is to live to 105.
Hammett lives near the waters of Lake Pontchartrain with his cat Munkastrap. He may be contacted at the email addresses provided on the contact page of this site.
SITE MAP
