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The Temple Boy Who’s Not There
………………O, Flatbush Bill’s
………………the Steinway grand
………………of soup and barrel organs—
………………never short on time or change
………………he’s like a man made man
………………on his toes all the time,
………………a flyweight cockerel
………………stretching out the limits of each night
………………like a massive tenor in full flight
………………or temple gong so boozed
………………and tendrilled mothers
………………light their morning fires by the
………………rumble, cooking in the dark for several lives
………………of hungry monks and temple brats
………………just to share the merit—
………………whereas none of them can hold
………………a candle to our bowlful Bill’s
………………Brooklyn breadth
………………………………………..and warble.
………………So when the monks at Wat Phra Singh
………………offered him the post of Temple Boy
………………I wrote this poem
………………so they would know what
………………not to expect
………………or how to rise, or even bow,
…………………………………………………before him!
………………Yes, he’s better west, this Mister Bill—
………………the east’s too trim for so much
………………common sense and willingness to volunteer
………………or even rest
…………………………………at full stretch—
………………coast, I’d say, choir master fiend
………………and rabble rouser—
…………………….homeless husband,
………………………………bubble buster,
………………saffron cockney on a Buddha barrow,
………………mighty long-armed-dharma duster-upper!
………………Damn, I say, let him
………………rest upon his lusty laurel laughter—
………………toast, and share it!
……………………………………from Fig Leaf Sutras: A Memoir in Poems.
______________________
‘Flatbush Bill’ is a tribute I wrote a few years ago for my great friend, W.F. Kammann, who died aged 77 on January 27th, 2024.
I met Bill for the first time in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, 40 years ago — I was teaching at the Brooklyn Polytechnic Preparatory School in Bayridge at the time. Bill himself was born in Flatbush but raised in Upper New York State, which he loved just as much as The City: the big river, the forests, the myths and legends. And he was equally over-educated as well. A natural musician, he spent 7 years at the famous Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria — and in due course became, as you might have predicted, the director of one of the largest shelters for the Homeless in the Five Boroughs. A Buddhist, he was at the same time both a charismatic Choirmaster and a leading member of the NY Tibet Society. In the second half of his life he devoted himself to Tibetan Studies, Meditation, Bird Watching and Cowpattyhammering.
One of the original Scarriet/Harriet survivors, Bill Kammann was the author of Cowpattyhammer’s all-time most popular thread, Pop Goes the Weasel with its 127 Mozartian comments, i.e. that scurrilous! He was also the co-author of the ground-breaking threads, Kim, Kipling and Kakamura and The Mystery of Barabar and the Maramar Caves — they kept us occupied for months together!
Bill lived the last decade of his life in a beautiful house overlooking Patzcuaro in Mexico, and is survived by his wife, Becky Hamilton, and his diver-son, Matthew Kammann — also an important contributor to Cowpattyhammer as ‘omino 23.’ I learned a great deal from our intergalactic visitor, but didn’t know it was Matthew until he arrived on my doorstep in Chiang Mai (we watched the Twin Towers come down together there on my very first television set!)
In Southeast Asia, the Buddhist faithful, mainly ‘mothers,’ get up very early to cook special meals for the monks who file through their villages barefoot at 6am on their daily alms round. The women fill the bowls and then kneel down for a blessing. No word is spoken during the whole exchange, and nobody serves what is more is served.
Bill was like that too, and some thought he was a bit cavalier and even rude. But by those who knew him well he is sorely missed just as he was, indeed irreplaceable.
A Great Soul has departed.
Christopher
P.S. Please do leave any messages you may have in The Comments below, as if he were still here. He would love that.
………THE COMMENTS THAT FOLLOW DEVELOP THE THREAD
Cowpattyhammer 
wfkammann said,
January 19, 2011 at 11:59 pm
A postscript on the whole Temple Boy story:
When Ida and I visited Chiang Mai in 2009 we searched in vain for the monk, Maha Siporn, who had made the offer. Finally, we saw an old monk sitting near the gate at Wat Phra Singh. He spoke some English, and, yes, he knew Maha Siporn and no, he was no longer a monk. The man had put aside his robes and entered the tourist business. He was now a Chiang Mai tour guide.
The temple itself where the Phra Singh Buddha image is housed is called Viharn Lai Kam and is one of the most beautiful buildings in Thailand. It was constructed beginning in 1726 and was restored in 1953 and then again in the last few years.
To my great joy it was re-opened when I returned in December 2009 and I was able to take these photos.
The walls are painted to depict Lanna life in the 19th century illustrating scenes of the Suwannahong and Sang Thong classic literature.