8/3/2019 Soliloquy at the Curtain's Fall - Victor Higgins and
the "Little Gems" by Jim Balestrieri
3/7
P L T Y L [ B H [ Y J B T J @ C Y T
Fh|{h @jfpjb #83:8!8:0:*& ^jdyg{ Cj``jbt& Yhgt& Bl
Alsjdg&
@lfhyjb tjf~l{ p{jby& 8:9>& 084'8> s
:88'8>+
8:0: HAGB DH[YL[ A\TL\A GN HAL[JDHB H[Y& NG[Y PG[YC&
YLSHT&
KLX\LTY GN YCL H[YJTY& _8:0:"84?"88;3
z ycl 8:9?t ^jdyg{ Cj``jbt& h aheg{ Hal{jdhb h{yjty hbi
gbl
gn ycl Yhgt Ng|bil{t& chi tllb& g{ tg jy tllali& cjt
klty ihzt"
Ycl Ilp{lttjgb& h kjyyl{ ij~g{dl n{ga cjt tldgbi jnl hbi
Pg{fi Ph{ JJ ijty{hdyli ycl h{yjty hbi ycl p|kfjd" Cj``jbtt
k{gycl{ ht
ahbh`jb` cjt dh{ll{& bgy h agb|albyhf yhtm ht ycl h{yjty chi
gbfz gbl
tlaj!tl{jg|t phy{gb& hb jbt|{hbdl ahb cg i{g~l ch{i
kh{`hjbt" Gn cjt
n{jlbit hbi dga{hilt jb Yhgt& Dg|tl hbi \nl{ chi phttli
hhz"Ht ng{ cjt phjbyjb`& Cj``jbtt k{hbi gn Agil{bjta& gjb`
h {lhy ilhf
yg Dluhbbl hbi ycl ylblyt gn _gty!Jap{lttjgbjta& ht j~jb` hz
yg bll{
jilht ychy ty{hzli l~l{ n|{ycl{ n{ga ycl ilpjdyjgb gn gktl{~li
{lhfjyz" Ycl
fhbitdhpl hbi plgpfl gn Yhgt& ycl tlbtl gn fgdhyjgb hbi
dgbyjb|jyz
gn bhyj~l d|fy|{l ychy chi hyy{hdyli ycl fjmlt gn Tch{p&
Kl{bjb`ch|t&
_cjffjpt& Kf|albtdcljb hbi dg|byfltt gycl{t& ahyyl{li
fltt hbi fltt" Yhgt
jytlfn ht dchb`jb`" Agil{bjyzycl lblaz gn ycl Ng|bil{tcgtl
jbtpj{hyjgb tp{hb` n{ga ycl hbdjlby hzt gn ycl jbij`lbg|t
plgpflt hbi
ycl |bdchb`jb` bhy|{l gn ycl fhbi& ht dgajb` yg ygb&
k{g|`cy kz ycl
h|ygagkjfl hbi ycl djblah" Yjal ht dhydcjb` |p jyc ^jdyg{
Cj``jbt"
Ycl g{fi& jy a|ty ch~l tllali yg cja& ht phttjb` cja
kz"
Jb cjt tlajbhf agbg`{hpc gb ycl h{yjty& Ilhb _g{yl{ k{jlnfz
ijtd|ttlt
hb |b|t|hf Cj``jbt dhb~ht& lsld|yli jb 8:9" Yjyfli Bgtyhf`jh
ng{
ycl Yclhy{l& jy ilpjdyt h khffly ht jy g|fi kl tllb n{ga ycl
jb`t gn ycl
tyh`l" Igajbhyjb` ycl phjbyjb` jt hb g{bhyl cjyl h{dcjyldy|{hf
lflalby&
h tly pjldl hy ycl tjil gn ycl p{gtdlbj|a dgapgtli gn td{gffg{m
hbi
nlhycl{z h{hkltx|lt" Ycl ihbdl{t& kz dgby{hty& h{l yjbz
hbi `hycl{li hy
ycl lsy{lal {j`cy gn ycl pjdy|{l pfhbl" _g{yl{ hty|ylfz gktl{~lt
ychy ycl
pjldl t|``ltyt ychy Cj``jbt hb hff k|y ng{`gyylb h{yjty hy ycl
jbyl{bhyjgbhf
fl~lf& tllali yg ch~l zlh{bli ng{ gbl ag{l ihz jb ycl t|b"
#^jdyg{
Cj``jbt& Hb Hal{jdhb Ahtyl{& p" ;43"*
_g{yl{ tllt ycl g{m ht h tzakgf gn& h {ldgffldyjgb& h
i{lha g{fi&
h g{fi ychy ng{ ycjt h{yjty ht bg fgb`l{ pgttjkfl& #p" ;43*
hbi pl{chptycjt jt cg Cj``jbt cjatlfn th jy"
Yg lsylbi _g{yl{t alyhpcg{& chy Cj``jbt zlh{bli ng{ ht gbl
ag{l
y|{b jb ycl yclhyl{& gb ycl kj` tyh`l" K|y yg thz ychy
Cj``jbt chi flny ycl
yclhyl{& g{ ychy ycl yclhyl{ chi hkhbigbli cja lbyj{lfz&
jt yg ajtt ph{y gn
ycl pgjby gn ycl njbhf dchpyl{ jb ycl `{lhy h{yjtyt dh{ll{"
Tgfjfgx|zhy ycl
d|{yhjbt nhff^jdyg{ Cj``jbt hbi ycl Fjyyfl @latKz Ehalt I"
Khflty{jl{j
8/3/2019 Soliloquy at the Curtain's Fall - Victor Higgins and
the "Little Gems" by Jim Balestrieri
4/7
P L T Y L [ B H [ Y J B T J @ C Y T
Ycl y{|yc jt ychy ^jdyg{ Cj``jbt {ltpgbili yg
cjt ijajbjtcli dj{d|atyhbdlt jyc `{hdl hbi
cl{gjta" Cl k|jfy h kgs yg cgfi cjt phjby&
k{|tclt hbi phblft& tgalycjb` cl dg|fi cgfi
gb cjt fhp ht cl phjbyli" Cl y|{bli cjt khdm gb
cjt ty|ijg& igbbli cjt yc{ll!pjldl t|jy& e|apli
jb cjt dh{ hbi fjy g|y ng{ ycl ~jtyht cl chi tplby
cjt fjnl `lyyjb` yg mbg& fhbitdhplt mbl fjml
ycl chj{t gb ycl khdm gn cjt chbig{ ycl chj{t
gb cjt k{|tclt"
Ycltl tahff g{mt l{l phjbyli ng{ ycl
yg|{jty y{hil #tg Cj``jbt dgbnjili yg h ilhfl{&hddg{ijb` yg
_g{yl{*" K|y yclz l{l hftg tahff
ahtyl{g{mt5 tjny& kgfi& htt|{li" _g{yl{ x|gylt
Kf|albtdcljbt hpp{hjthf gn h `{g|p gn ycltl
g{mt& g{mt l ch~l dgal yg mbg ht ycl
Fjyyfl @lat
Hbi cl p|y hff cl chi jbyg ycjt
igulb gn tahff dhb~htltHff
g{mt gn fg~l5 fg~l gn cjt tjapfl
t|keldyt hbi gn cjt d{hnytahbtcjp"
Ycltl pjdy|{lt chi ycl lsy{h
tgalycjb` ychy ycl {j`cy h{yjty
dhb p|y jbyg cjt g{m clb cl jt
gb cjt yglt
Fggmjb` hy tgal gn ycltl g{mt& Cj``jbt
yhmlt ycl ijtyhbdl& ycl tlbtl gn nllfjb` {lag~li
n{ga ycl g{fi hbi {ldhtyt jy ht pl{tpldyj~l&
ht hb lak{hdl gn ycl ygyhfjyz gn ycl fhbitdhpl"
Ycl ylbtjgb klyllb ycltl yg hzt gn tlljb`
jt chy ahmlt ycl Fjyyfl @lat a|dc ag{l ychb
yg|{jty pjdy|{lt"
Jb lhdc gn ycl g{mt pjdy|{li cl{l5 [jg@{hbil Fhbitdhpl& Ycl
[li Y{ll& ^hfflz
Tp{jb`& ycl c|ahb lflalby jt e|ty hbgycl{ fhzl{
jb ycl fhbitdhpl" Ycl pfg|`cli njlfit& ycl fg
higklt& ycl nlbdlt5 hff klfgb`& hff h{l ph{y gn
ycl ch{agbz gn ycl tdlbl" Zly yclz h{l tahff&
jycg|y p{gajblbdl& y|dmli jb"
Yg ijp h ygl jbyg ycl ihb`l{g|t hyl{t gn
ptzdcgfg`z& jb hb h{yjty& ycjt jt h ig|kfl!li`li
tg{i& ycjt nllfjb` gn klfgb`jb` yg h pfhdl" Jb
ycltl g{mt Cj``jbt cht dgal yg |bil{tyhbi
cg jy hff njyt yg`lycl{& ycl hkty{hdyjgbt ychy
lal{`l n{ga ycl tchplt gn ag|byhjbt& y{llt&
njlfit& cgalt& ycl dgapgtjyjgb ychy lal{`lt
n{ga ycltl hkty{hdyjgbt"
Cl |bil{tyhbit ycjt g{fi tg lff ychy
ilpjdyjb` jy jt h tjny ahyyl{5 h dfg|i jt h tjb`fl
nfg|{jtc& hb htplb y{ll jt h tp{hz gn dgfg{&
ilyhjft h{l lydcli jbyg ycl pj`alby jyc ycl
khdm gn ycl k{|tc" Jy a|ty ch~l kllb n{lljb` ng{
Cj``jbt& hihpyjb` cjt ahtyl{z gn hyl{dgfg{& ht
l~jilbdli jb [jbdgbhbig" Jy ht ycl {lhy Bl
Zg{m hyl{dgfg{jty Egcb Ah{jb& i|{jb` h tgeg|{bjb Yhgt jb
8:;:& cg chi jbtpj{li Cj``jbt&
hbi l tll ycl nfllyjb` lbl{`z gn ychy alij|a
jb ycl chbifjb` gn gjf phjby jb ycl Fjyyfl @lat"
Zly ycl tlbtl gn hkhbigb jb ycltl g{mt& hb
hkhbigbalby gn tlfn& tllat yg tj`bhf ychy cl jt
flyyjb` `g gn ycl p|{t|jy gn ijtyjbdyjgb& hbi ychy
ycl iltj{l yg tyhbi g|y& yg hdcjl~l h mjbi gn
tyhy|{l& ht n|yjfl"
Zly ycl{l h{l tjb`|fh{jyjlt jb ycltl g{mt&
`lty|{lt yg ycjt yclhyl{& ycl yclhyl{ gn Yhgt" Jb
Ycl [li Y{ll& gjf gb ahtgbjyl& 8; s 80+
