Pont Jacques-Cartier
a recently-discovered Lawson poem

Wintering in its shadow had never occurred
As an inspiration nor did my hasty choice
To park the car and take a room in the vicinity
Produce a stunning revelation in the manner
Say of an epiphany although in truth the month
Of November was shot through with greys and purples
As is known in Montreal where gulls have flown and hues
Have altered only to point in fresh directions
And I could tell seeing from my tall window
How the swish of leaves in tatters along the quays
Combining with impromptu gusts of snow illuminated
Its essential structure each railing and girder
Awaiting an interval of freezing in a new year
Astride the narrowed apparition of the St. Lawrence.

An excerpt from Zhongguo:

Mozart in Wuhan*

Mozart in central
China's Wuhan where the Yangtse brushes its banks
to signal proud longevity

Down by the river
approaching from the southwest near the central bridge
giant hoisting derricks herald

New technocracy
overshadowing vendors in open markets
and store windows displaying fruit

Today as always
where autumn and winter have ever longed for spring
dynasty after dynasty

One small tidy shop
with boxed cassettes and electronic gadgets
and loudspeakers out on the sidewalk

Delicately wafts
a timeless version of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
in Wuhan on the Yangtse River


November 6, 1992


*This poem in no way champions technocracy

Dr. David Lawson was born in 1927 in London, England and received his education at Columbia and other institutions. In September of 1989 he began teaching in Shanghai as a 'Foreign Expert'; from 1990 to 1993 he was Visiting Professor of Literature at Teachers' Universities in Xi'an and Wuhan. Aside from his writing career, Lawson continues to follow a lively, ever-exploratory path. His teaching work has included two years at McGill University in the field of History and Philosophy of McGill University in the field of History and Philosophy of Education (1968-70). His achievements are listed in Canadian Who's Who.

David Lawson passed away on Tuesday, May 18th, 1999, at the age of seventy-one. David was a poet, artist, essayist and former professor at McGill University. He is survived by his sister, Joy Rappaport, of Michigan. A memorial service was held at the Unitarian Church of Montreal on Thursday, June 10th, 1999, at 4:30pm.