Lawrence Ferlinghetti - Endless Life: Selected Poems by lalohidalgo

POETRY/ISBN:

Lawrence Ferlinghetti

0-8112-0797-8

Lawrence

Ferlinghetti

ENDLESS UFE:, Selected

Poems

L a w r e n c e F e r l i n g h e t t i is s u r e l y (as a r e v i e w e r iv Booklisi

phrased

i t ) " o n e o f o u r ageless r a d i c á i s a n d t r u e b a r d s , " H e h a s

consis-

t e n t l y s p o k e n i n poetic t e r m s accessible t o e v e r y t y p e o f r e a d e r a b o u t o u r life a n d t i m e a n d its issues, n o t o n l y t h e political o n e s but those of the interior life. B e h i n d t h e immediacy of w h a t

Libraiy

Journal c a l l e d h i s " D y n a m i c , v e r b o s e , a l a r m i n g , c h a r m i n g , a n d u n s e t t l i n g " p o e t r y a n d its i r r e s i s t i b l e s p o n t a n e i t y lie s e r i o u s t h o u g h t a n d e r u d i t i o n . H i s m o t i v a t i o n h a s b e e n t o be ( i n h i s w o r d s ) " a n anarchistic, and prophetic."

agent provocateur—subversive,

Endiess Ufe: Selected Poems is t h e p o e t ' s o w n c h o l e e , t h e p o e m s t h a t still excite h i m , f r o m eight previous books of p o e t r y . T h e s e start w i t h Pictures

(1955), t h e f i r s t b o o k he p u b l i s h e d

of ihe Gotie World

u n d e r h i s o w n C i t y L i g h t s i m p r i n t , f o l l o w e d b y A Coney Island of the Mind

(1958), a l i t e r a r y l a n d m a r k w i t h a l m o s t a m i l l i o n copies i n

ENDLESS

print the w o r l d over and the first of Ferlinghetti's t h i r t e e n books b r o u g h t o u t b y N e w D i r e c t i o n s . Starting The Secret Meaning Are

(1961),

from San francisco

( 1 9 6 9 ) , Open Eye, Open Heart ( 1 9 7 3 ) ,

of Things

We Now? ( 1 9 7 6 ) , Northwest

Who

Ecolog ( C i t y L i g h t s , 1 9 7 8 ) , a n d Lnnd-

scapes of Living & Dying ( 1 9 7 9 ) a r e e a c h g e n e r o u s l y r e p r e s e n t a d . T h e final section of the book includes the long title p o e m , "Endiess Life/' taken f r o m w o r k - i n - p r o g r e s s . [ A l s o b y L a w r e n c e F e r l i n g h e t t i : A Coney Island of the Mind, $ 2 . 2 5 ; Her

(novel), N D P 8 8 ,

N D P 4 9 1 , $ 2 . 9 5 ; Mexican RouUnes

(plays),

$ 1 . 5 0 ; Landscapes

Night

NDP187,

Dying,

(travel journal), NDP300,

$1.50;

$1.00;

The

N D P 2 Ó 8 , $ 1 . 0 0 ; Starting from San Francisco,

Secret

Meaning

( p l a y s ) , N D P 1 4 3 , $ 1 . 0 0 ; Who Are

We Now?,

by Lawrence

A NEW DIRECTIONS PAPERBOOK

N D P 2 2 0 , $1.00;

Nix? ( p o l i t i c a l s a t i r e ) , N D P 2 8 8 , $ 1 . 2 5 ; Unfair Argumentswith

Cover drawing

NDP74, ¿r

of Living

T/iiry», Tyrannus Existenct

N D P 4 2 5 , $1.95.1

Ferlinghetti NDP516

$'í-95

Selected Poems

••IT'.ÍTO

LAWRENCE F E R L I N G H E T T # ; 'ti-

••ANGi/J AMÍ::ht!.:A!^!''''

R o o k s by L a w r e n c í ' F e r l i n j i h e l l i

rOFTRY Pictures of thv Gone World A Coney Island of the Mind Startinfí from San Francisco The Sfcret Meaninf! of Things Back Roads to Far Places Open Eye, Open Heart W ho Are IVcNoic? Northwest Ecolof^ Landscapes of Living & Dying

ENDLESS LIFE S E L E C T E D POEMS

PROSE fler Tyrannus The Mexican

Nix? Night

PLAYS

linfair

Arguments with Routines

Existence

I TRANSLATION

Paroles

b y Jarques P r e v e n

[aDQ;

N E W

P S l S u

D I R E C T I O N S

B O O K

eiBLiüTEGA

' '

To Presley E . Bislaud

All rights reserved. Excppl for brief passages quoted in a newspapcr, magazjne, radio, or televisión review, no part of this book may be reprodiiced in nny form or liy any means, olectronir or mechaniral, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, wilhout permission in wriling from the Publisher. Manufa<'tured in the United States of America. Firfil published rlothboiind in 1981 and as New Directions Paperbook 516 Published simultaneously in Canadá hy George J . McLeod Ltd., Toronto The poems included in this book havp been selected from the fnllowing: Picturpx of thp. Gone W^orld ÍCity Lights, 1955) ; A Coney ¡slnnd of ike. Mind 'New Directions, 1958) ; Starting from San Francisco ( N D , 1961) ; The Secret Meaning of Things { N D , 1968) ; Open Eye, Open Heari I N D . 1973) ; Who Are We Now? ( N D , 1976) ; Northwest Ecolog (City Lights, 1<)78) ; Landscapes of Living & Dying ( N D , 1979), Also included are "Modern Poetry Is Prose Ulut It Is Saying P l e n t y ) " as published in The Populist Mnnifestos liy Grey Fox Press, 1981; "Retired Ballerinas, Central Park West" which appeared on the O p e d page of the N.Y. Times, February 9. 1980; and "Endiess L i f e " from European Poems, a work-inprogress. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publiration Data Ferlinghetti, Lawrence. Endiess l i f e : selected poems (A New Directions Book) Includes índex. I . Title. PS3511.E557E5 1981 811'.54 80-29127 I S B N 0-8112-(l796-X I S B N 0-8112-0797-8 (pbk.) New Directions Books are published for James Laughlin by New Directions Publisbing Corporation 80 Eigbth Av^nue, New York 10011

& una Luwrenee Bi^Iaiid

C O N T E N T S

I . from Pictures of the Gone W o r l d AWAY ABOVE A HARBORFUL . . .

IN H I N T E R T I M E P R A X I T E L E S . . .

AND T H E A R A B S A S K E D T E R R I B L E QUESTIONS . . .

S A R O L L A ' S W O M E N IN T H E I R P I C T U R E H A T S . . .

FOR A L L I KNOW M A Y B E S H E WAS H A P P I E R

...

FORTUNE . . .

A N D S H E ' L I K E A Y O U N G Y E A R . . .'

I T WAS A F A C E W H I C H D A R K N E S S C O U L D K I L L . . .

WITH B E L L S FOR HOOVES IN SOUNDING STREETS . . .

)

T H A T F E L L O W ON T H E B O A T T R A I N W H O I N S I S T E D . . .

HEAVEN . . .

T H E W O R L D IS A B E A U T I F U L P L A C E . . .

R E A D I N G Y E A T S I DO N O T T H I N K . . .

¿I

SWEET AND VARIOUS T H E WOODLARK . . .

' I I . from A Coney Island of the M i n d

7«5w

IN G O Y A S G R E A T E S T SCENES WE SEEM T O SEE . . .

T H E POET'S E Y E OBSCENELY SEEING . . .

SOMETIME DURING E T E R N I T Y . . .

•—i-rr

T H E Y W E R E P U T T I N G UP T H E S T A T U E . . . W H A T C O U L D SHE SAY TO FANTASTIC FOOLYBEAR

THE ...

IN GOLDEN G A T E PARK THAT DAY . . . S E E I T WAS L I K E T H I S W H E N . . . I H A V E NOT L A I N W I T H B E A U T Y A L L MY L I F E . . . NOT L I K E D A N T E

...

CONSTANTLY RISKING ABSURDITY THE PENNYCANDYSTORE

...

BEYOND THE E L . . .

D O V E STA A M O R E . . . AUTOBIOGRAPHY DOG I AM

WAITING

HIDDEN DOOR UNDERWEAR COME L I E W I T H M E AND B E MY

LOVE

THE GREAT CHINESE DRAGON

I V . from T h e Secret Meaning of Things RAGA

MOSCOW IN T H E W I L D E R N E S S , S E G O V I A I N T H E SNOW viii

V . from Open E y e , Open Heart T R U E CONFESSIONAL

IN A T I M E OF R E V O L U T I O N FOR INSTANCE

100

STONE R E A L I T Y MEDITATION

10,3

SUNRISE, BOLINAS

X04

A PHOENIX AT FIFTY

JOS

T H E MAN WHO R O D E AWAY

X07

AN E L E G Y ON T H E D E A T H O F K E N N E T H P A T C H E N

110

AN IMAGINARY HAPPENING, LONDON

113

THOUGHTS TO A CONCERTO OF TELEMANN

TOC T O C : A COUPLE OBSERVED

116

POUND AT SPOLETO

117

ON T H E T R A N S S I B E R I A N

119

R E C I P E FOR HAPPINESS IN

I I I . from Starting from San Francisco

ASSASSINATION

tí--'

KHABAROVSY

OR A N Y P L A C E

120

SALUTE

121

THIRD WORLD CALLING

123

BASEBALL CANTO

125

LAUGHING & CRYING

128

NIGHT LIGHT

I30

V I . /rom Who Are W e

Now

DIRECTOR OF ALIENATION

133

WILD DREAMS O F A NEW BEGINNING

137

LOST PARENTS

l-^*^

PEOPLE GETTING DIVORCED

141

S H O R T S T O R Y ON A P A I N T I N G O F G U S T A V K L I M T

142

ALIENATION: TWO BEES

144

OLBER'S PARADOX

146

UPON R E F L E C T I O N

147

DEEP CHESS

148

A MEETING OF EYES IN MEXICO

150

T H E G E N E R A L SONG O F H U M A N I T Y

152

E I G H T P E O P L E ON A G O L F C O U R S E AND O N E B I R D OF F R E E D O M F Y I N G O V E R

154

POPULIST MANIFESTO

156

A SWEET FLYING

DREAM

182

TWO SCAVENGERS IN A T R U C K , TWO B E A U T I F U L P E O P L E IN A M E R C E D E S THE BILLBOARD HOME HOME

PAINTERS

186 189

HOME

SAN JOSE SYMPHONY

184

RECEPTION

193

W H I T E ON WHITE

194

AN E L E G Y T O D I S P E L G L O O M

197

ADIEU A CHARLOT

199

IX.

Work-in-Progress

RETIRED BALLERINAS. CENTRAL PARK WEST

207

M O D E R N P O E T R Y IS P R O S E IBUT IT IS SAYING P L E N T Y )

208

V I L from Northwest Ecolog T H E OLD SAILORS

163

WILD L I F E CAMEO, E A R Y MORN

164

READING APOLLINAIRE BY T H E ROGUE RIVER

165

HORSES A T DAWN

167

INTO T H E D E E P E R POOLS . . .

;

R O U G H SONG O F ANIMALS D Y I N G

ENDLESS L I F E

210

INDEX OF TITEES & FIRST LINES

219

168 170

V I H . from Landscapes of L i v i n g & D y i n g THE OLD ITALIANS DYING

175

T H E SEA AND OURSELVES A T CAPE ANN

179

E N D L E S S

L I F E

from

P i c t u r e s of the G o n e W o r l d I95S

AWAY

A B O V E

H A R B O R F U L

way above a h a r b o r f u l o f caulklcĂźs houses a i i i o i i g l l i e charley n o b l e f l i i n i n e y p o t s o f a r o o f t o p r i g g e d w i l h clotbeslines a w o i i i a n pastes u p sails u p o n the w i n d h a n g i n g o u t h e r n i o r n i n g sheets w i t h w o o d e n pĂns O lovely m a m n i a l her n e a r l y naked breacts t h r o w t a u t sbadows w h e n she stretches u p t o h a n g at last t h e last o f h e r so w h i t e washed sins b u t i t ic w e t l v aiiiorous a n d w i n d s itself a b o u t h e r c l i n g i n g to h e r s k i n So c a u g h t w i t h arms upraised she tosses b a c k h e r h e a d i n voiceless l a u g h t e r a n d i n choiceless gesture t h e n shakes o u t g o l d h a i r w h i l c i n t h e reachless seasrape spaces between the b l o w n w h i t e s h r o u d s s t a n d o u t t l i e b r i g l i t steatners to k i n g d o m come

H I N T E R T I M E

P R A X I T E L E S

AND

T H E

A R A B S

Q U E S T I O N S

A S K E D

T E R R I B L E

I n h i n t e r t i m e Praxiteles laid about h i m w i t h a golden m a u l s t r i k i n g i n t o stone i: I his alabaster ideáis uttering all t h e sculptor's l e x i c ó n

^ A _ n d t h e A r a b s asked t e r r i b l e questions and t h e Pope d i d n ' t k n o w w h a t to say a n d t h e p e o p l e r a n a r o u n d i n w o o d e n shoes a s k i n g w h i c h w a y was t h e h e a d o f M i d a s f a c i n g a n d everyone s a i d

i n v i s i b l e syllables H e cast b r o n z e trees p e t r i f i e d a c h a m e l e o n o n one m a d e stone doves i % ,

H i s calipers m e a s u r e d b r i d g e s

a n d lovers and certain other superhumans w h o m he caught u p o n their dusty way . ;, , '

;.iy „

tO d c a t h

N o i n s t e a d o f Yes •••

W h i l e still forever i n the L u x e m b o u r g gardens i n t h e f o u n t a i n s o f t h e Mediéis w e r e t h e fat red goldfish and the fat w h i t e goldfish and the children running around the pool p o i n t i n g and p i p i n g Des poissons

' , ,

Des poissons

T h e y never r e a c h e d i t t h e n I

Y o u s t i l l can a l m o s t see their breath T h e i r stone eyes s t a r i n g

t h r u t h r e e t h o u s a n d years a l l a y o u r fears o f a g i n g

•••i/ .v

rouges!

b u t t h e y r a n off and a leaf u n h o o k e d i t s e l f ,

and f e l l u p o n t h e p o o l a n d l a y l i k e an eye w i n k i n g

and t h e n t h e p o o l was v e r y

eircles , ,

although Praxiteles himself at twenty-eight lay dead f o r s c u l p t u r e isn't f o r young men as C o n s t a n t i n B r a n c u s i at a l a t e r h o u r

a n d t h e r e was a d o g just standing there

)f,-t?-~

at t h e edge of t h e p o o l looking down at t h e t r a n c e d fish

said

•to.

S A R O L L A ' S

and not barking o r w a v i n g its f u n n y t a i l o r anything so t h a t for a moment then

P I C T U R E

W O M E N

H A T S

T H E I R

'aroUa's w o m e n i n t h e i r p i c t u r e hats stretched u j i o n his canvas beaches b e g u i l e d t h e Spanish Impressionists

i n the late November dusk

A n d were t h e y f r a u d u l e n t p i c t u r e s

silence h u n g l i k e a lost i d e a

of the w o r l d a n d a statue t u r n e d

its h e a d

t h e way t h e l i g h t p l a y e d o n t h e m creating illusions of love? I cannot help b u t t h i n k that their 'reahty' was almost as r e a l as m y n i e m o r y of today w h e n t h e last sun h u n g o n t h e h i l l s a n d I h e a r d t h e day f a l l i n g l i k e the gulls t h a t f e l l almost t o l a n d w h i l e t h e last p i c n i c k e r s l a v a n d l o v e d i n the b l o w i n g yellow b r o o m resisted a n d r e s i s t i n g t e a r i n g themselves a p a r t again again

u n t i l t h e last h o t h u n g c l i m a x w h i c h c o u l d at last no l o n g e r he resisted made them mean

FOR

A L L

K N O W

WAS

H A P P I E R

M A Y B E

S H E

. . .

A n d n i g h t ' s trees stood u p F o r a l l I k n o w m a y b e she was h a p p Ă e r t h a n anyone that lone cronc i n the shawl o n t h e orangecrate t r a i n w i t h the l i t t l e tame b i r d i n her handkerchief croonĂng to i t a l l the t i m e mia mia

mascotta

mascotta and n o n e o f t h e s u n d a y excursionists w i t h t h e i r bottles a n d t h e i r baskets j i a y i n g any attention

a n d t h e coach ,0 creaking o n t h r o u g h cornfields 80 s l o w l y t h a t butterfiies blew i n and out

F O R T U N E

t h e r e was m a y b e o n l y six o f us kids altogether

running around i n our barefeet a n d b i r t h d a y

ortune

suits

has i t s cookies to give o u t

aiid T r e m e m b e r M o l l y b u t t h e n

w h i c h 18 a good thing since i t ' s been a l o n g t i m e since that sunimer i n B r o o k l y n w h e n t h e y closed off t h e street one h o t day and the

started i ) l a y i n g p i n o c h l e a g a i n j u s t as i f n o t h i n g l i a d ever happened

FIREMEN

while I remetnber M o l l y l o o k e d at m e a n d iÂŤ â&#x20AC;˘

t u r n e d o n t h e i r hoses r. a n d a l l t h e k i d s r a n o u t i n i t

ran i n

i n t h e n i i d d i e o f t h e street

bccanse I guess r e a l l y we were t l i c o n l y ones t h e r e

and there were m a y b e a couple dozen o f us out there w i t h the water squirting up to t h e sky a n d a l l over US

the firemen etopped s q u i r t i n g t h e i r hoses a l l o f a s u d d e n and w e n t back i n t h e i r firehouse and

AND

S H E

' L I K E

Y O U N G

Y E A R

. K

W A S

C O U L D

F A C E

K I L L

W H I C H

D A R K N E S S

j ^ n d she * I i k e a y o u n g y e a r walking t h r u the earth' i n t h e B o i s de B o u l o g n e t h a t t i m e

was a face w h i c h darknesa c o u l d k i l l

or as I r e m e m b e r hélWí'''' stepping out of a b a t h t u b i n t h a t ^ o l d flat she h a d córner of Boulevard

des

i n an instant a face as eaaily h u r t by laughter or l i g h t ' W e think

Italiens

d i f f e r e n t l y at n i g h t ' she t o i d m e once

O h t h e y say she t r i e d e v e r y t h i n g b e f o r e t h e end

A n d she w o u l d q u o t e Cocteau

t o o k u p televisión a n d crosswords even c r o c h e t i n g and things like that a n d carne to have t h e a i r ; before the end

. , -

(as h e r f a v o r i t e poet d e s c r i b e d h e r ) o f 'always c a r r y i n g flowers

' I f e e l t h e r e is an ángel i n m e ' s h e ' d say

abandoned t o m b '

' • ;

¡ ,, shocking'

T h e n she w o u l d s m i l e a n d l o o k away l i g h t a cigarette f o r m e I

' ''

sigh and rise

and stretch h e r sweet a n a t o m y

w h i c h doesn't s u r p r i s e m e n o w t h a t I come to t h i n k o f i t

*whoni I am constantly

t o w a r d some f a r

'¡¡' vi.

lying back languidly

let f a l l a stocking

T h e s t r u c k seed was i n h e r

W I T H

B E L L S

S O U N D I N G

F O R

H O O V E S

S T R E E T S

So (she s a i d )

. t h i s is h o w i t a l l began

Vi^itli b c l l s f o r

Next time I ' l l know

liooves i n s o u n d i n g streets

B u t i t was too l a t e a n d t h e y b u r i e d h e r

t h a t t e r r i b l e horse t h e u n i c o r n carne o n a n d c r o p p e d a m e d i a r f r o m a tree a n d w h e r e h e d r o p p e d t h e seed sprang up a v i r g i n

o h she s p r a n g u p u p o n his b a e k a n d r o d é off t i t t e r i n g t o a s t a i r w h e r e pieces o f s t r i n g l a y scaltered everywhere N o w w h e n she saw t h e s t r i n g so w h i t e so l o v e l y a n d so h e a u t i f u l and looking like Innocence itself she got d o w n a n d r e a c h e d f o r a n i c e s t r a i g h t piece b u t i t h a d a head and i t b i t h e r h e a u t i f u l place

•íjjy'ft-

Jt^-. 'vfir

T H A T W H O

F E L L O W

O N

I N S I S T E D

T H E

B O A T T R A I N

H E A V E N

eaven was o n l y h a l f as f a r t h a t n i g h t

X h a t f c l l o w on l l i r b o a t t r a i n w h o insisted o n j)layin{Ă b l a c k j a c k h a d t c c t h t h a t stuck o u t l i k e lighthouses o n a r o c k y eoast but

at t h e p o e t r y r e c i t a l l i s t e n i n g t o t h e b u r n t phrases w h e n I h e a r d t h e poet have

h e h a d no eyes t o see t h e d u s k flash past horses i n orehards noiselessly r u n n i n g

a r h y m i n g erection t h e n l o o k away w i t h a

bunches o f b i r d s thrown up a n d t h e b u t t e r f i i e s o f yesterday t h a t flittered o n ^ mv mind

,1 l o s t l o o k ' E v e r y a n i m a l ' h e said at last ' A Ă t e r intercoiurse is s a d ' B u t t h e b a e k - r o w lovers looked oblivious and glad

T H E

W O R L D

P L A C E

B E A U T I F U L

L h e w o r l d is a b e a u t i f u l place to be b o r n i n t o i f y o u d o n ' t m i n d happiness n o t always b e i n g 80 v e r y m u c h f u n

o r such o t h e r i m p r o p r i e t i e s , ;, as o u r Ñ a m e B r a n d society '• •;•'•••:•,'[!, 'i, 18 p r e y to w i t h its m e n o f d i s t i n c t i o n a n d its m e n of extinctionMi,^?! and its priests i; a^nd o t h e r p a t r o l n i e n a n d its v a r i o u s segregations a n d congressional investigations and o t h e r

i f y o u don't m i n d a touch of h e l l n o w and t h e n j u s t w h e n e v e r y t h i n g is fine because even i n lieaven t h e y d o n ' t sing all the time T h e w o r l d is a h e a u t i f u l place to be b o r n i n t o i f y o u d o n ' t m i n d some p e o p l e d y i n g a l l the t i m e

constipations

t h a t o u r f o o l flesh is h e i r t o Yes t h e w o r l d is t h e hest place o f a l l f o r a l o t o f such t h i n g s as m a k i n g t h e f u n scene a n d m a k i n g t h e love scene a n d m a k i n g t h e sad scene a n d singíng l o w songs and h a v i n g i n s p i r a t i o n s and w a l k i n g around l o o k i n g at e v e r y t h i n g

or maybe only starving

a n d s m e l l i n g flowers a n d gooRÍng statues . i a n d even t h i n k i n g ' :' i and k i s s i n g p e o p l e a n d

some o f t h e t i m e w h i c h i s n ' t h a l f so h a d i f i t isn't y o u

• m a k i n g babies a n d w e a r i n g ]>ants

O h t h e w o r l d is a h e a u t i f u l place , >• .•

t o be b o r n i n t o i f you don't much m i n d a f e w dead m i n d s i n t h e h i g h e r places

a n d w a v i n g hats a n d • ;'

•

. 'v n

•.

dancing

going s w i m m i n g i n r i v e r s on picnics in the m i d d l e of the summer

or a bomb or t w o and j u s t g e n c r a l l y

now and then i n y o u r u p t u r n e d faces

'living it up'

R E A D I N G T H I N K

Y E A T S .

D O

N O T

e a d i n g Yeats I do n o t t h i n k of I r e l a n d b u t of midsuninier N e w Y o r k and of myself back then r e a d i n g t i i a t copy I f o u n d o n the T h i r d a v e n u e E l the E l w i t h its Ălyhung fans a n d its signs r e a d i n g S P I T T I N G IS F O K B I D D E N the E l eareening t h r u its t h i r d s t o r y w o r l d w i t h its t h i r d s t o r y p e o p l e i n t h e i r t h i r d s t o r y doors l o o k i n g as i f they h a d never h e a r d of the ground an oĂd d a m e watering her p l a n t o r a j o k e r Ăn a straw j>ulting a s t i c k p i n i n his p e p p e r m i n t tie a n d l o o k i n g j u s t l i k e he h a d n o w h e r e to go b u t conevisland o r an u n d e r s h i r t e d guy r o c k i n g i n his r o c k e r

w a t c h i n g t h e E l pass h y

' ' ' ' ' < ..

a» i f he expected i t to he d i f f e r e n t

,. ,

SWEET

A N D

W O O D L A R K

VARIOUS

T H E

. . .

each t i m e R e a d i n g Yeats I d o n o t t h i n k of A r c a d y and o f its woods w l i i c h Yeats t h o u g h t dead I t h i n k instead o f a l l t h e gone faces g e t t i n g ofT at n i i d t o w n places w i t h t h e i r hats a n d t h e i r j o b s and o f t h a t lost b o o k T h a d w i t h its b l u e cover a n d its w h i t e i n s i d e w h e r e a j>encilhand h a d w r i t t e n

S w e e t and various the

woodlark

who sings at the unbought gatc and yet how many wild beasts how many mad in the civil thickets

H O R S E M A N , PASS B Y !

Hólderlin i n his stone t o w e r o r i n t h a t k i n d r a r p e n t e r S house at T ü b i n g e n or then Rimbaiul his ^nightniare a n d l o g i c ' a sophisni of madness B u t we have o u r o w n m o r e r e c e n t w h o also f a t a l l y assumed t h a t some d i r e c t c o n n e c t i o n does exist b e t w e e n language and r e a l i t y w o r d and w o r l d w h i c h is a l a u g h i f y o u ask m e I t o o have d r u n k and seen the spider

from

A C o n e y I s l a n d of t h e M i n d 1958

ttt.

G O Y A ' S

S E E M

T O

G R E A T E S T S E E

S C E N E S

W E

X n Goya'a greatest scenes w e seeni t o see the people of the w o r l d e x a c t l y at t h e m o m e n t w h e n t h e y first a t t a i n e d t h e t i t l e o f 'suffering h u m a n i t y '

T h e y w r i t h e u p o n t h e page 1 i n a v e r i t a b l e ragc I

of a d v e r s i t y

H e a p e d U|) ' ' g r o a n i n g w i t h hables a n d bayonets u n d e r c e m e n t skies i n an abstract landscape o f b l a s t e d trees b e n t Rtatues hats wings a n d beaks s l i p p e r y gibbets eadavers a n d c a r n i v o r o u s cocks a n d a l l t h e final h o l l e r i n g monsters

, â&#x20AC;˘ '

of the * i m a g i n a t i o n o f disaster' t h e y a r e so b l o o d y r e a l i t is as i f t h e y r e a l l y s t i l l e x i s t e d A n d they do ;

â&#x20AC;˘

O n l y t h e landscape is c h a n g c d They

s t i l l are r a n g e d a l o n g t h e roads p l a g u e i l b y legionaires false w i n d m i l l s a n d d e m e n t e d roosters

T H E

T h e y are t h e same p e o p l e only further from home o n freeways f i f t y lañes w i d e

o n u concrete r o n t i n e n t spaced w i t h h l a i i d h i l l b o a r d s i l l u s t r a t i n g i n i h e c i l e i l l u n i o n s o f happiness

P O E T ' S

S E E I N G

E Y E

O B S C E N E L Y

T h e poet's eye ohscenely seeing sees t h e surface o f t h e r o u n d w o r l d

T h e scene shows f e w e r t u m h r i l s h u t m o r e s t r u t i g - o u t citizens i n p a i n t e d ears a n d t h e y have strange license píate» a n d engines that devour America

w i t h its d r u n k r o o f t o p s a n d w o o d e n o í s e a u x o n clotheslines a n d its r l a y males a n d feniales w i t h h o t Ipgs a n d r oseh u d hreasts i n r o U a w a y beds a n d its trees f u l l o f mysteries a n d its S u n d a y p a r k s a n d speechless statues a n d its A m e r i c a w i t l i its ghost towiis a n d e m p t y E l l i s Islands a n d its s u r r e a l i s t landscape o f m i n d l e s s |»rairies s u p e r m a r k e t suhurhs s t e a m h c a t e d cemeteries and p r o t e s t i n g cathedrals a k i s s p r o o f w o r l d o f (dastic toiletseats t a m p a x a n d t a x i s d r u g g e d store cowboys a n d las vegas v i r g i n s disowncd indians and cinemad matrons u n r o m a n senators a n d r o n s c i e n t i o u s non-ofajectors

and a l l the other fatal shorn-up fragments

S O M E T I M E

U U R I N G

E T E R N I T Y

o f t h e i m m i g r a n t ' s d r e a m c o m e t o o t r u e '. ^ndmislaid O ometime during eternity

aniong the sunbathers

some guys show u p a n d one o f t h e m w h o shows u p r e a l l a t e is a k i n d o f c a r p e n t e r f r o m some square-type place ' and h e starts w a i l i n g

l i k e Galilee

a n d c l a i m i n g h e is h i p to w h o m a d e h e a v e n and earth , 1, I

w h o r e a l l y l a i d it o n US

is his D a d A n d moreover

a n d t h a t t h e cat ' i

' ',.

h e adds It'a a l l w r i t d o w n o n some s c r o l l - t y p e p a r c h m e n t s w h i c h ' sortie h e n c h m e n leave l y i n g a r o u n d t h e D e a d Sea a l o n g t i m e ago

somewheres

and w h i c h y o u w o n ' t even f o r a c o u p l a t h o u s a n d years o r so

find

;''•;;!,.•.',•••, . or at Icast f o r n i n e t e e n h u n d r e d áhd f o r t y s e v e n of t h e m t o be exact and even t h e n n o b o d y r e a l l y believes t h e m or me for that matter 31

>e^.H XisiGLÓ A M E R I C A N O

T H E Y

You're hot they tell h i m

W E R E

S T A T U E

A n d t l i e y cool h i m

T h e y stretch h i m o n t h e T r e e to cool A n d everybody after that is always m a k i n g models of this Tree w i t h H i m hung up a n d always c r o o n i n g H i s ñ a m e a n d c a l l i n g H i m t o come d o w n a n d sit i n on their combo as i f h e is the k i n g cat who's got to b l o w o r t h e y can't q u i t e m a k c i t

P U T T I N G

U P

T H E

.. •

J. bey were p u t t i n g u p t h e statue o f Saint F r a n c i s i n f r o n t of the church o f Saint F r a n c i s • i n t h e c i t y o f San F r a n c i s c o i n a l i t t l e side street j u s t ofT t h e A v e n u e w h e r e no b i r d s sang a n d t h e s u n was c o m i n g u p o n t i m e i n its u s u a l f a s h i o n and j u s t b e g i n n i n g to shine o n t h e statue o f Saint F r a n c i s w h e r e n o b i r d s sang A n d a l o t o f oíd I t a l i a n s

O n l y he d o n ' t come d o w n

were s t a n d i n g a l l a r o u n d

f r o m His Tree

i n t h e l i t t l e side street H i m just hang there

j u s t off t h e A v e n u e

on His Tree l o o k i n g real Petered out

•

and real cool a n d also a e c o r d i n g to a r o u n d u p o f l a t e w o r l d news f r o m t h e u s u a l u n r e l i a b l e sources r e a l dead

watching the wily workers w h o were h o i s t i n g u p t h e statue w i t h a c h a i n a n d a erane and other implements A n d a l o t of y o u n g reporters i n b u t t o n - d o w n clothes were t a k i n g d o w n the words o f one y o u n g p r i e s t w h o was p r o p p i n g u p t h e statue w i t h a l l his a r g u m e n t s A n d all the while w h i l e n o b i r d s sang any Saint F r a n c i s Passion

a n d w h i l e t h e lookers k e p t l o o k i n g I u p at S a i n t F r a n e i s w i t h h i s tírms o u l s t r e t r h e d to t h e b i r d s w h i c h w e r e n ' t t h e r e a v e r y t a l l and v e r y p u r e l y n a k e d young virgin w i t h very long and very straight straw h a i r , and wearing only a very sniall , b i r d ' s nest ''

W H A T

F A N T A S T I C

i, .

i n a very e x i s t e n t i a l place k e p t passing t h r u the c r o w d all the w h i l e a n d u p a n d d o w n t h e steps

•

y:''

C O U L D

i n f r o n t of Saint F r a n c i s h e r eyes downcast a l l t l u ; w h i l e (...'I ,,•: i'-^'i'*'!'^^''':'• a n d s i n g i n g to h e r s e l f

S H E

SAY

F O O L Y B E A R

T O .

T H E .

at cítitid she say to the f a n t a s l i r f n o l v b e a r a n i l w l i a l c o u l d she .«ay to b r o t l i c r a n d w h a t c o u l d she say , " . ' ( , i, . • to t h e cat w i t h f t i t u r e feet a n d w h a t c o u l d she say to n i o t b e r a f t e r t h a t t i m e t h a t she l a y l u s h a n i o n g the l o l l y

flowers

on t h a t h o t r i v c r b a n k w h e r e ferns f e l l away i n the h r o k c n a i r o f the b r e a t h o f her l o v e r aiul birds went ntad ij , !,• a n d t h r e w themselves f r o m trees to taste s t i l l h o t u p o n the grí)und the s p i l l c d s p e r m seed

i-m-r-v"»',; 17:111

G O L D E N

DAY

G A T E

P A R K

T H A T

i n a basket w h i c h t h e y seemed t o have b r o u g h t f o r t h a t p u r p o s e w i t h o u t l o o k i n g at each o t h e r

-lili'''-'

Iii ( í o M e n Gato, P a r k t h a t day a m a n a n d his w i f e w e r e c o m i n g a l o n g t h r u the enornious meadow w h i c h was t h e m e a d o w o f t l i e w o r l d H e was w e a r i n g green sus]ienders and c a r r y i n g an oíd beat-up flute i n one h a n d w h i l e his w i f e h a d a b u n c l i o f grapes w h i c h she k e p t I i a n d i n g o u t individually • to various squirrels . . as i f each 1 were a l i t t l e j o k e A n d t h e n t h e t w o o f t h e m came o n t h r u the enormous meadow w h i c h was t h e m e a d o w o f t h e w o r l d :'<}[

A n d then h e t o o k his s h i r t a n d u n d e r s h i r t off but kept his hat on sideways a n d w i t h o u t saying a n y t h i n g f e l l asleep u n d e r i t A n d h i s w i f e j u s t sat t h e r e l o o k i n g at t h e b i r d s w h i c h flew a b o u t e a l l i n g to each o t h e r i n the stilly air as i f t h e y were q u e s t i o n i n g existence o r t r y i n g to r e c a l l s o m e t h i n g f o r g o t t c n But then

finally she t o o l a y d o w n flat and just lay there l o o k i n g u p at n o t h i n g yet fingering t h e oíd

flute

which nobody played a n d finally l o o k i n g over

and then

at a v e r y s t i l l si>ot w h e r e t h e trees d r e a m e d a n d seemed to h a v e been w a i t i n g t h r u a l l t i m e

at h i m for them

t h e y sat d o w n t o g e t h e r o n t h e grass w i t h o u t l o o k i n g at each o t h e r

w i t h o u t any p a r t i c u l a r expression except a c e r t a i n a w f u l l o o k o f t e r r i b l e depression

a n d ate oranges w i t h o u t l o o k i n g at each o t h e r a n d p u t t h e peéis

ttto.

S E E

I T

WAS

L I K E

T H I S

W H E N

H A V E

A L L

See

M Y

i t was l i k c t h i s w h e n w e w a l l z i n t o t h i s place a c o u p l e o f P a p i s h cats is d o i n g an A z t e c two-step A n d I says

N O T

L A I N

L I F E

W I T H

B E A U T Y

have n o t Jaln w i t h b e a u t y a l l m y l i f e t e l l i n g over to m y s e l f ,, I its m o s t r i f e c h a r m s

I have n o t l a i n w i t i i b e a u t y a l l m y l i f e

D a d let's c u t b u t then this dame

! t e l l i n g over t o m y s e l f

comes u p b e h i n d m e see a n d says Y o u a n d m e c o u l d r e a l l y exist

a n d l i e d w i t h i t as w e l l

h o w b e a u t y never dies b u t lies a p a r t among the aborigines

W o w I says

of art a n d f a r above t h e battlefĂelds

O n l y t h e n e x t day she has h a d t e e t h

oflove

a n d r e a l l y liates I t is above a l l t h a t o h yes I t sits u p o n t h e choicest o f C h u r c h seats u p t h e r e w h e r e a r t d i r e c t o r s nieet to choose t h e t h i n g s f o r i m m o r t a l i t y

A n d t h e y have l a i n w i t h b e a u t y a l l t h e i r lives A n d t h e y have f e i l o n h o n e y d e w a n d d r u n k t h e wines o f Paradise so t h a t t h e y k n o w e x a c t l y h o w a t h i n g (Ăf beauty is a j o y forever and forever a n d h o w i t never never q u i t e can f a d e i n t o a m o n e y - l o s i n g nothingness 38

O h n o I have n o t l a i n o n B e a u t y Hests l i k e t h i s a f r a i d t o rise at n i g h t f o r fear t h a t I m i g h t soinehow miss some n i o v e m e n t b e a u t y m i g h t have m a d e Y e t I have slept w i t h b e a u t y i n my own weird way Ăind I have m a d e a l i u n g r y seene o r t w o w i t h beauty i n m y b e d a n d so s p i l l e d o u t a n o t h e r p o e m o r t w o a n d so s p i B e d o u t a n o t h e r p o e m o r t w o upon the Bosch-like w o r l d

N O T

L I K E

D A N T E

.N ot like Dante discovering a

commedia u p o n t h e slopes o f heaven

I would paint a different k i n d o f Par adi so i n w h i c h t h e people w o u l d be n a k e d as t h e y always are i n scenes l i k e t h a t beeause i t is supposed t o be a p a i n t i n g o f t h e i r souls b u t t l i e r e w o u l d be n o a n x i o u s angeis t e l l i n g t h e m h o w h e a v e n is the perfect pieture of a monarehy

C O N S T A N T L Y A B S U R D I T Y

R I S K I N G . . .

C o n s t a n t l y risking absiirdity and death whenever he perfornis ahove t h e hcads of hiH audience t h e p o e t like an a c r o b a t elinih.s o n r i m e to a h i g h w i r e o f his o w n m a k i n g a n d h a l a n e i n g o n eyebeanis above a sea of faces paces his way to t h e o t h e r side of day p e r f o r n i i n g entreclials and sleight-of-foot tricks and o t h e r h i g h t h e a t r i c s and a l l without mistaking any t h i n g f o r w l i a t i t m a y n o t he F o r he's t h e super r e a l i s t who nuist perforce perccive taut truth b e f o r e t h e t a k i n g o f eacb stance o r step i n his supposed advance toward that still higher perdĂ w h e r e B e a u t y stands a n d waits with gravity to st ar t her d e a t h - d e f y l n g leap

ÂŤ6,

And

he a little charleychaplin man w h o m a y o r m a y n o t catch her f a i r eternal f o r m spreadeagled i n t h e e m p t y a i r o f existence

T H E

P E N N Y C A N D Y S T O R E

T H E

E L

B E Y O N D

J. he p e n n y c a n d y s t o r e h e y o n d t h e E l is w h e r e I first f e l l i n love with unreality Jellyheans g l o w e d i n t h e s e i n i - g l o o m of t h a t september afternoon A eat u p o n t h e c o u n t e r m o v e d a m o n g t h e l i c o r i c e sticks a n d tootsie r o l l s and O h Boy G u m O u t s i d e t h e leaves w e r e f a l l i n g as t h e y d i e d A w i n d h a d b l o w n away t h e s u n A girl ran i n I l e r h a i r was r a i n y H e r hreasts were breathless Ăn t h e l i t t l e r o o m O u t s i d e t h e leaves w e r e f a l l i n g and t h e y c r i e d T o o s o o n ! too s o o n !

D O V E

S T A

A M O R E

^ ) o v e sta a m o r e W h e r e Hes l o v e D o v e Bta a m o r e H e r e lies l o v e T h e r i n g dove l o v e I n lyrical delight H e a r love's h i l l s o n g Love's t r u e w i l l s o n g Lovers l o w p l a i n s o n g

A U T O B I O G R A P H Y

I am leading a quiet life i n M i k e ' s Place every day w a t c h i n g t h e champs of the Dante BilJiard Parlor a n d t h e Fren<'h p i n b a l l addiets. I am leading a quiet life o n l o w e r East B r o a d w a y . I a m an A m e r i c a n . I was an A m e r i c a n h o y . I read t h e A m e r i c a n B o y M a g a z i n c a n d hecame a b o y scout i n the suburbs.

T o o sweet p a i n s o n g

I t h o u g h t I was T o m Sawyer catching rravfish i n the B r o n x River

I n passages o f n i g h t

and i m a g i n i n g t h e M i s s i s s i p p i .

D o v e sta a m o r e ^

H e r e lies l o v e

T h e r i n g dove l o v e D o v e sta a m o r e H e r e lies l o v e

I h a d a baseball m i t a n d an A m e r i c a n F l y e r b i k e . I delivereil the Woman's H o m e C o m p a n i o n at five i n t h e a f t e r n o o n or the H e r a l d T r i b at five i n t h e n i o r n i n g . I s t i l l r a n hear t h e p a p e r t h u n i p o n lost porches. I h a d an u n h a p p y <-hildhood. I saw L i n d b e r g l a n d . I looked homeward a n d saw no รกngel. I g()l caught s t e a l i n g |)encils f r o m t h e F i v e and T e n Cent Store t h e same m o n t h I m a d e Eagle Scout. I e h o p p e d trees f o r t h e CCC a n d sat o n t h e m .

I landcH i n N o r m a n d y i n a r o w b o a t t h a t t u r n e d over. •, I have seen t h e e d u r a t e d armies o n t l i e b e a t l i at D o v e r . I have seen E g y p t i a n p i l o t s i n p u r p l e clouds sliopkeepers r o l l i n g u p t h e i r h l i n d s at m i d d a y p o t a t o salad and d a n d e l i o n s at a n a r c h i s t p i c n i c s . I ani r e a d i n g ' L o r n a D o o n e ' a n d a l i f e of J o h n M o s t t e r r o r of t h e i n d u s t r i a l i s t a b o m b o n his desk at a l l times. I h a v e seen t h e garbagemen p a r a d e i n the Columbus Day Parade behind the glib

I h a v e been i n t h e M a n g e r w i t h an Ass. I have seen t h e E t e r n a l D i s t r i b u t o r from a White Hill i n S o u t h San F r a n c i s c o a n d t h e L a u g h i n g W o m a n at L o o n a P a r k outside the F u n House i n a great r a i n s t o r m still laughing. I have h e a r d t h e s o u n d o f r e v e l r y by night. I have w a n d e r e d l o n e l y as a c r o w d . I am leading a ipiiet l i f e o u t s i d e of M i k e ' s Place every day w a t c h i n g t h e w o r l d w a l k by -> ¡- '.

farting trumpeters.

i n i t s c u r i o u s shoes.í»!

I have n o t been o u t to t h e Cloisters i n a long time ñ o r to t h e T u i l e r i e a ; , b u t I s t i l l keej> t h i n k i n g of going.

I once started o u t to w a l k a r o u n d t h e w o r l d b u t ended u p i n B r o o k l y n . T h a t B r i d g e was t o o m u c l i f o r m e . I have engaged i n silence e x i l e a n d e u n n i n g . , :; \ X flew too near t h e s u n i a n d m y w a x wings f e l l off, I a m l o o k i n g f o r m y Oíd M a n w h o m I never k n e w . I am l o o k i n g for tlie Lost Leader w i t h w h o m I flew. Y o u n g m e n s h o u l d be e x p l o r e r s . H o m e is w h e r e one starts f r o m . B u t M o l h e r never t o l d m e t h e r e ' d be scenes l i k e t h i s . Womb-weary I rest

I have seen t h e g a r b a g e m e n p a r a d e w h e n i t was s n o w i n g . I have eaten l i o t d o g s i n b a l l p a r k s . I have h e a r d t h e G e t t y s b u r g Address and the (iinsberg Address. I l i k e i t here a n d I w o n ' t go b a c k w h e r e I came f r o m . I too have r i d d e n boxcars boxcars boxcars. I have t r a v e l l e d a m o n g u n k n o w n m e n . I have been i n A s i a w i t h ÍVoah i n t h e A r k . I was i n I n d i a w h e n R o m e was b u i l t .

I have travelled.

I have seen ¡£<>of e i t y . H Í I I l l a v e seen i h e nías» inetss. I have h e a r d k i d ( t r y i r y . I llave licard a tronihone preach. I h a v e h e a r d Dehussy ,; ^ s t r a i n e d t h n i a sheet. I have slept i n a h u n d r e d islands w h e r e books w e r e trees. ' Í ; , i I have h e a r d t h e b i r d s t h a t sound l i k e bells. -y T havc^woriT_grev flaniieHrousers

a n d n o t e d t h e cióse i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f t h e U n i t e d States a n d t h e P r o m i s e d L a n d w h e r e every c o i n is m a r k e d I n God W e Trust b u t t h e d o l l a r b i l i s d o n o t have i t b e i n g god» u n t o themselves. I read the W a n t Ads daily l o o k i n g f o r a stone a leaf an u n f o u n d door. I hear America singing

a n d w a l k o d U]»on t h e beach o f j j j l l .

i n t h e Y e l l o w Pages.

-Xha-ve-dweltiu a hundred.cities

O n e c o u l d never t e l l

w h e r e trees w e r e books.^.^J™;.:- I ,.

IJ| ¡\, ' i '

W h a t subways w h a t taxis w h a t cafes!

I r e a d t h e papers every day

a n d h e a r h u m a n i t y amiss

W h a t w o m e i i w i t l i b l i t i d hreasts

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l i m b s lost a m o n g s k y s c r a p c r s !

I have seen t h e statues o f h é r o e s

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i n t h e sad p l e t h o r a o f p r i n t . :

to make a n amusement p a r k .

eat h i s w h a l e .

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p o i n t i n g W e s t w a r d uji t h e R a m b l a s

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t o w a r d t h e A m e r i c a n Express ;

L i n c o l n i n his stony chair A n d a great Stone Face

.,, ' '

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Ji|í:

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•yi'i^'ivi

T h e y should a l l be freed. I am leading a quiet l i f e i n M i k e ' s Place every day

r e a d i n g t h e Classified c o l u m n s . I have r e a d t h e Reader'a Digest f r o m cover t o cover

i,,

, S í'.

looking for m y dog. b e t w e e n dogs a n d m e .

^ ;';,/!

b u t h u r r i e d b a c k t o t h e Casbah I see a s i m i l a r i t y

.i^iV

.¡'••••i:' V ' " ; ' i . " , ! '

I have r e a d t h e w r i t i n g o n the outhouse w a l l .

b l o w i n g on a bugle i n a tight platoon

i '

i/'

b u t I w o n ' t b e t h e r e t o fight i t .

I marched up F i f t h Avenue

I have h e a r d a h u n d r e d h o u s e b r o k e n E z r a P o u n d s . I t is l o n g since I was a h e r d s m a n .

I see a n o t h e r w a r is c o m i n g

I helped K i l r o y write it.

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I k n o w that Columbus d i d n o t ¡nvent A m e r i c a .

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I see t h e y ' r e m a k i n g M e l v i l l e

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Columbus i n Barcelona

i n N o r t h Dakota.

I see w h e r e W a l d e n P o n d has been d r a i n e d

^ •

at e a r r e f o u r s . D a n t o n weeping at a metro entraiice

t h e soul has its rages.

Dogs a r e t h e t r u e observers w a l k i n g up and d o w n the w o r l d t h r u the Molloy eountry. I have w a l k e d d o w n alleys too narrow f o r Cbryslers.

I h a v e seen a hun(h-ed horseless m i l k w a g o n s i n a vacant l o t i n A s t o r i a . B e n S h a h n never p a i n t e d t h e m hut t h e y ' r e t h e r e T'' i , , •; . askew i n A s t o r i a . '^r/'^' • ,: I have h e a r d t h e j u n k m a n ' s o b h l i g a t o . i I have r i d d e n superhighways and b e l i e v e d t h e b i l l b o a r d ' s promises Crossed t h e Jersey F í a t s \. and seen t h e Cities o f t h e P l a i n A n d w a l l o w e d i n t h e w i l d s o f Westehester w i t h its r o v i n g bands o f natives i n stationwagons. I have seen t h e m . Í : i , I am the man. - i ^ ^ : !. > > I was t h e r e . ^ „• ••..i • I suffered somewhat. ' . :i . • I am an A m e r i c a n . ' .Ü . , I h a v e a passport. I d i d n o t suflfer i n p u b l i c . A n d I ' n i t o o y o u n g to d i e .

''.':'.-:;*.',,'•,',!•••.;•• i'> i i: i " i:

I a m a selfmade m a n . i A n d I have plans f o r t h e f u t u r e . I am i n line for a t o p Job. i, ; j ; i I m a y be m o v i n g o n ,, , - i to D e t r o i t . / ;

I am an open book to m y boss. I am a complete mystery to m y closest f r i e n d s .

,( . >f

i ; > ;. /, ,i ..

I suffered • somewhat. I h a v e sat i n an uneasy c h a i r . I am a tear of the sun. I am a h i l l

r >

w h e r e poets r u n . ! i ;' I invented the alphabet a f t e r w a t c h i n g t h e flight o f cranes

, ;/

I am a word

i n a tree.

<i -

I am a h i l l of poetry. I am a raid on t h e i n a r t i c u l a t e . '

' i •! .i;,.,':•••! ' i

i ,. i ,; , '

I am the m a n . I was t h e r e .

who m a d e letters w i t h t h e i r legs. I am a lake u p o n a plain. ,

i,¡

I am only temporarily l ' i . i. f' . i: ' a t i e salesman. .;! : i i ; I a m a good Joe. •': '.. .:: •< i .í;f

I am leading a quiet life i n M i k e ' s Place every d a y contemplating m y navel. i I am a part ' f' of t h e body's l o n g madness. I have w a n d e r e d i n v a r i o u s n i g h t w o o d I have l e a n e d i n d r u n k e n d o o r w a y s . I have w r i t t e n w i l d stories without punctuation.

I have dreamt that all m y teeth f e l l o u t •

but

m y tongue lived

to t e l l t h e t a l e . For I am a still of I I in

' '

poetry. , a m a b a n k of song. am a playerpiano a n a b a n d o n e d casino

i' . (;

' - :

„ • -

o n a seasidc esÂĄ>lanade i n a dense f o g still playing. I see a s i m i l a r i t y between t h e L a u g h i n g W o m a n and m y s e l f . I have h e a r d t h e s o u n d of s u m m e r i n the rain. I have seen girls o n b o a r d w a l k s have r o n i p l i e a t e d sensations. I u n d e r s t a n d t h e i r hesitations. I a m a gatherer o f f r u i t . I have seen h o w kisses cause e u p h o r i a . I have risked enchantment. I have seen t h e V i r g i n i n an a p p l e t r e e at C l i a r t r e s A n d Saint J o a n b u r n at t h e B e l l a U n i o n . I have seen giraffes i n j u n g l e j i m s t h e i r necks l i k e love

I am leading a quiet life i n M i k e ' s Place every day w a t c h i n g t h e p o c k e t p o o l players m a k i n g t h e n i i n e s t r o n e scene wolfing the macaronis a n d I have r e a d somewhere the Meaning of Existence y e t have f o r g o t t c n j u s t exactly where. B u t I am the m a n A n d F U be t h e r e . A n d I m a y cause t h e l i p s o f those w h o are asleep t o speak. A n d I may make m y notebooks i n t o sheaves o f grass. A n d I may write my own eponymous epitaph instructing the horsemen t o pass.

w o n n d a r o u n d t h e i r o n circumstanees of the w o r l d . I have seen t h e V e n u s A p h r o d i t e armless i n h e r d r a f t y c o r r i d o r . I have h e a r d a s i r e n sing at One F i f t h A v e n u e . I h a v e seen t h e W h i t e Goddess d a n c i n g i n t h e R u ĂŠ des B e a u x A r t s on the Fourteenth of July and the Beautiful Dame W i t h o u t Mercy p i c k i n g h e r nose i n C h u m l e y ' s . She She and and

d i d n o t speak E n g l i s h . had yellow hair a hoarse voice n o b i r d sang. 55

He's a f r a i d o f Coit's T o w e r b u t he's n o t a f r a i d o f Congressman D o y l e a l t h o u g h w h a t h e hears is v e r y d i s c o u r a g i n g v e r y depressing very absurd ' to a sad y o u n g dog l i k e h i m s e l f t o a s e r i o m dog l i k e h i m s e l f B u t h e has h i s o w n free w o r l d t o l i v e i n

D O G

T h e dog t r o t s f r e e l y i n t h e Street ; i : a n d sees reality"'^'*'"*'* and t h e t h i n g s h e sees , . • > •. >• are bigger t h a n h i m s e l f , i,. • ; . ' > . • ,, a n d t h e t h i n g s h e sees • • • are h i s r e a l i t y /, •! D r i m k s i n doorways ¡' • , ; • Moons o n trees • !• ;.'.>;•' T h e dog t r o t s f r e e l y t h r u t h e street and t h e t h i n g s h e sees are s n i a l l e r t h a n h i m s e l f F i s h o n news|)rint ' A n t s i n holes • Chickens ín C h i n a t o w n w i n d o w s

> ••: .•/,: : 1

t h e i r heads a b l o c k away

j v: .

T h e dog t r o t s f r e e l y i n t h e street and t h e t h i n g s h e smells smell something l i k e himself T h e dog t r o t s f r e e l y i n t h e street p a s l p u d d l e s a n d hables eats a n d cigars i

H i s own fleas t o eat H e w i l l n o t be muzzled Congressman D o y l e is j u s t a n o t h e r fire h y d r a n t to h i m

• .1 j ,. , i -

The and and and

ÍVÍ.,','

;

w i t h a r e a l tale t o t e l l and a real t a i l to tell i t w i t h a real live

poolrooms and policemen

barking

H e doesn't h a t e cops H e m e r e l y has n o use f o r t h e m a n d h e goes past t h e m a n d jiast t h e dead cows h u n g u p w h o l e i n f r o n t o f t h e San Francisco M e a t M a r k e t H e w o u l d r a t h e r eat a tender cow than a tough policeman though either m i g h t do

! ' ;, i

: , ,

A n d h e goes past t h e R o m e o R a v i o l i F a c t o r y a n d past Coit's T o w e r a n d past Congressman D o y l e o f t h e U n a m e r i c a n C o m m i t t e e 56

w i t h o u t benefit of p e r j u r y a r e a l realist

' ,!

í'

d o g trots f r e e l y i n t h e street has h i s o w n dog's l i f e t o l i v e to t h i n k about t o reflect u p o n

t o u c h i n g and t a s t i n g and testing e v e r y t h i n g investigating everything

Ü ; , ' ; , ; ;

deraocratie dog

engaged i n r e a l free enterprise w i t h s o m e t h i n g t o say about ontology s o m e t h i n g t o say ' about reality and h o w t o see i t ' and how to hear i t w i t h h i s h e a d eoeked sideways , at streetcorners

as i f h e is j u s t a b o u t to have his picture taken f o r V i c t o r Records listening for H i s Master's V o i c e and l o o k i n g like a living questionmark into the great g r a m o p h o n e o f p u z z l i n g existence w i t h its w o n d r o u s h o l l o w b o r n w h i c h always seems j u s t a b o u t to s p o u t f o r t h some V i c t o r i o u s answer to e v e r y t h i n g

W A I T I N G

a m w a i t i n g f o r m y case to eome u p and I am w a i t i n g f o r a r e b i r t h of wonder and I am w a i t i n g f o r someone to r e a l l y discover A m e r i c a and w a i l

and I am waiting for the discovery of a new s y m b o l i c western f r o n t i e r and I am w a i t i n g f o r t h e A m e r i c a n Eagle to r e a l l y spread its wings a n d s t r a i g h t e n u p a n d fly r i g h t and I am waiting f o r the Age^gf A n x i e t y to drop dead a n d I am w a i t i n g f o r the w a r to be f o u g h t

.jL3J>'--^ ^

w h i c h w i l l m a k e t h e w o r l d safe for anarchy â&#x20AC;˘e^''"'^_ / and I am w a i t i n g f o r t h e final w i t h e r i n g away of a l l g o v e r n m e n t s and I am [ l e r p e t u a l l y

awaiting

a r e b i r t h of wonder I a m w a i t i n g f o r the Second C o m i n g and I am w a i t i n g for a religious revival to sweep t h r u the state o f A r i z o n a a n d I am w a i t i n g 58

j "

/T^^j^vvVijX.

I a m w a i t i n g f o r t h e G r e a t D i v i d e to be crossed

f o r t h e Grapes o f W r a t h to be stored and I a m w a i t i n g f o r t h e m to p r o v e t h a t G o d is r e a l l y A m e r i r a n and I íim w a i t i n g t o see G o d o n televisión p i p e d o n t o c h u r c h altara i f o n l y t h e y can find the r i g h t channel to t u n e i n o n and I am waiting f o r t h e Last S u p p e r to he served again w i t h a strange n e w appetizer and I am perpetually awaiting a r e b i r t h of wonder

and I am anxiously w a i t i n g f o r t h e secret o f e t e r n a l l i f e t o be discovered b y an obseure general p r a c t i t i o n e r and I am waiting ' , f o r t h e storms o f l i f e to be over and I am w a i t i n g ' i!; •. to set sail f o r happiness and I am w a i t i n g ; f o r a reconstructed Mayflower to r e a c h A m e r i c a w i t h its p i c t u r e story a n d t v r i g h t s sold i n advance to t h e natives and I am waiting f o r t h e lost music to sound again

w i t h o u t taxes

Í '

and I am w a i t i n g f o r forests a n d animáis

' I a m w a i t i n g f o r t h e day t h a t m a k e t h a l l t h i n g s clear and I am awaiting r e t r i b u t i o n for what America d i d

! ,

¡ i í. i

to T o m Sawyer

to r e c l a i m t h e e a r t h as t h e i r s and I am waiting

and I am w a i t i n g for the American Boy to t a k e off Beauty's clothes

f o r a w a y to be devised to destroy a l l n a t i o n a l i s m s

a n d get o n t o p o f h e r and I am waiting

without k i l l i n g anybody

for Alice in Wonderland

and I am waiting f o r l i n n e t s a n d planets to f a l l l i k e r a i n and I a m w a i t i n g f o r lovers a n d weepers to l i e d o w n together again i n a new r e b i r t h of wonder

her t o t a l dream of innocence and I am w a i t i n g f o r C h i l d e R o l a n d to come t o t h e final d a r k e s t t o w e r

«6

, • ) , ••

i n the Lost Continent i n a n e w r e b i r t h of w o n d e r

I a m w a i t i n g f o r m y nund>cr to he called and I am waiting f o r t h e S a l v a t i o n A r m y to t a k e over and I a m w a i t i n g f o r t h e m e e k to be blessed and i n h e r i t t h e e a r t h

: '

to r e t r a n s m i t to m e

and I am w a i t i n g for Aphrodite _

, Ok

*:Sf:4t^

O AVWMI'

t o g r o w l i v e arms at a fínal d i s a r m a m e n t conference i n a new r e b i r t h of wonder I am waiting to get some i n t i m a t i o n s •% ^ — of i m m o r t a l i t y \ by recollecting m y early c h i l d h o o d and I am w a i t i n g f o r the green m o r n i n g s to come again y o u t h ' s d u m b green fields come b a c k again and I am w a i t i n g f o r some strains o f u n p r e m e d i t a t e d a r t to shake m y t y p e w r i t e r a n d I a m w a i t i n g to w r i t e t h e great i n d e l i b l e p o e m and I am w a i t i n g f o r t h e last l o n g careless r a p t u r e and I am perpetually w a i t i n g f o r t h e fleeing lovers o n the C r e c í a n U r n to c a t c h each o t h e r u p at last a n d embrace and I am awaiting perpetually and forever a renaissanee o f w o n d e r

H I D D E N ( H y m n

t o

D O O R M a c h a

P i c c h u ,

ídden d o o r dead secret

a f t e r

I S e r u d a )

w h i c h is M o t h e r H i d d e n d o o r dead secret w h i c h is F a t h e r H i d d e n d o o r dead secret

' ,',

o f o u r h u r i e d Hfe H i d d e n d o o r b e h i n d w h i c h m a n carries his f o o t p r i n t s a l o n g t h e streets H i d d e n d o o r o f clay hands k n o c k i n g H i d d e n d o o r w i t h o u t handles wliose l i f e is made o f knocks

Hidden Hidden Hidden Hidden Hidden Hidden Hidden

door door door door door door door

b y h a n d and f o o t Poor hand poor foot poor l i f e ! w i t h h a i r f o r hinges w i t h l i p s f o r latches , w i t h skeletons f o r keys autobiography of h u m a n i t y dictionary of the universe jialimpsest of myself I ' m made of

w i t h m y stieks o f l i m b s H i d d e n door pathetic fallacy o f t h e evidence o f t h e senses as t o t h e n a t u r e o f r e a l i t y H i d d e n d o o r i n b l i n d eyes o f t e r m i t e s that knock knock H i d d e n d o o r b l i n d m a n w i t h t i n cup o n a stone c ó r n e r deaf a n d d u m b H i d d e n d o o r t r a i n - w h i s t l e lost i n book of n i g h t H i d d e n d o o r o n n i g h t ' s wheels I b l u n d e r i n g f o l l o w l i k e a r h i n o c e r o s d r i n k i n g t h r o u g h cities

«tu

H i d d e n door of carrier-jiigeons'wings w h i c h have l i a l f - f o r g o t t e n their destination H i d d e n d o o r jilane's w i n g t h a t skids i n space casting stone shadow on sundial of earth H i d d e n d o o r f i y i n g boxear o f h i s t o r y H i d d e n d o o r o f Sunday w i t h o u t c h u r c h H i d d e n d o o r o f a n i m a l faces a n i m a l l a u g h t e r a n i m a l dreams and h i d d e n door Cro-Magnon M a n among machines H i d d e n d o o r d a r k forest o f A m e r i c a knock knock i n N o r t h Dakota H i d d e n d o o r t h a t w i n g s over A m e r i c a a n d slants over San F r a n c i s c o a n d slams i n t o t h e Pacific d r i f t i n g eternally southward to T i e r r a d e l Fuego w i t h a k n o c k k n o c k undersea at lost d o o r o f L o t a coal m i n e s H i d d e n d o o r s u r f b o a r d to lost shore o f l i g h t a n d h i d d e n d o o r floated u p o n tides l i k e a shipwrecked coffinlid b e a r i n g b l i n d m o u t h s b l i n d hreasts b l i n d t h o u g h t h r o u g h t h e centuries H i d d e n d o o r sea-angel cast-up A l b a t r o s s s p o u t i n g seasperm o f l o v e i n t h i r t y languages a n d t h e love-ship o f l i f e sunk by the poison-squid of hate H i d d e n d o o r d o u b l e - w i n g e d s t i c k y - b i r d p l u m e d serpent s t u c k t o m o o n afire f o r e v e r d r u n k i n t i m e flapping lo贸se i n e t e r n i t y H i d d e n d o o r of t h e f u t u r e m y s t i c l i f e among Magellan's nebulae and h i d d e n door of m y m i s l a i d v i s i o n a r y self 66

H i d d e n d o o r San L u i s r o p e - b r i d g e w h i c h is m a n h u n g between nature and s p i r i t H i d d e n d o o r o f t h e s p i r i t seen as a fleshy t h i n g a n d h i d d e n d o o r o f eyes a n d vulvas t h a t still open only w i t h a key o f c a r t i l a g e and flesh and h i d d e n door frozen Inea m u m m y P r i n c e of t h e P l o m o f u c k e d to d e a t h i n sun-god sacrifice H i d d e n d o o r t i n cup o f b l i n d b r o t h e r mutes c r o u c h e d o n a Cuzco c 贸 r n e r b l o w i n g b a m b o o flutes at coca m i d n i g h t H i d d e n d o o r o f t h e Andes at t e n t h o u s a n d feet i n a ragged m i s t of r u i n s and r e d h o r i z o n s w i t h seacoast h u n g b e l o w s t i l l lost a m o n g conquistadors horses dogs and i n c o m p r e h e n s i b l e laws H i d d e n d o o r w i l d r i v e r of t h e U r u b a m b a u p o n w h i c h s t i l l floats s o m e w h e r e t h e lost h e r b t h a t separates soul f r o m b o d y a n d h i d d e n d o o r w h i c h is i t s e l f t h a t h e r b a n d h i d d e n d o o r w h i c h is t h a t s e p a r a t i o n and h i d d e n d o o r m a d e o f m i r r o r s o n t h e waters o f t h i s r i v e r i n w h i c h I c a n n o t see b e y o n d m y s e l f because m y body's i n t h e w a y H i d d e n d o o r at last I see t h r o u g h b e y o n d dear b o d y bag o f bones w h i c h I leave n a k e d o n a r o e k H i d d e n d o o r I wigless c l i m b to beyond that river H i d d e n d o o r at last I f a l l t h r o u g h i n t h e lost end of day I t is d u s k b y t h e t i m e w e get t o

Machu Picchu Some I n d i a n s go b y d a n c i n g ยกdaying t l i e i r flutes and beating drums

U N D E R W E A R

I Peru-Chile,

January-February,

1960

d i d n ' t get m u c h sleep last n i g h t

t h i n k i n g about underwear H a v e y o u ever stopped t o consider u n d e r w e a r i n t h e abstract '

W h e n you really dig into i t some s h o c k i n g p r o b l e m s are raised U n d e r w e a r is s o m e t h i n g we a l l have to deal w i t h

j , ; '

E v e r y o n e wears some k i n d o f u n d e r w e a r Even Indians wear underwear i E v e n Cubans wear underwear

T h e P o p e wears u n d e r w e a r I h o p e The Governor of Lonisiana wears u n d e r w e a r , ,

I saw h i m o n T V H e m u s t have h a d t i g h t u n d e r w e a r He squirmed a lot U n d e r w e a r can r e a l l y get y o u i n a b i n d Y o u have seen t h e u n d e r w e a r ads f o r men and women so a l i k e b u t so d i f f e r e n t Women's underwear holds things u p Men's u n d e r w e a r h o l d s t h i n g s d o w n U n d e r w e a r is one t h i n g m e n a n d w o m e n have i n c o m m o n U n d e r w e a r is a l l w e have b e t w e e n us Y o u have seen t h e t h r e e - c o l o r p i c t u r e s w i t h crotches e n e i r c l e d t o s h o w t h e รกreas o f e x t r a s t r e n g t h 68

a n d three-way stretch promising f u l l freedom of action D o n ' t he deceived It's a l l based o n t h e t w o - p a r t y system w h i c h doesn't a l l o w m u c h f r e e d o m o f ehoice t h e way i h i n g s are set u p A m e r i c a i n its U n d e r w e a r struggles t h r u t h e n i g h t Underwear rontrols everything i n the end T a k e f o u n d a t i o n garments f o r instance T h e y are r e a l l y fascist f o r m s of underground government m a k i n g peoj>le b e l i e v e something but the t r u t h t e l l i n g y o u w h a t y o u can o r can't do D i d y o u ever t r y to get a r o u n d a g i r d l e Perhaiis N o n - V i o l e n t A c t i o n is t h e o n l y answer D i d G a n d h i wear a g i r d l e ? D i d L a d y M a c h e t h wear a g i r d l e ? Was t h a t w h y M a c h e t h m u r d e r e d sleep? — A n d t h a t spot she was always r u b b i n g — Was i t r e a l l y i n h e r u n d e r w e a r ? M o d e r n anglosaxon ladies m u s t have h u g e g u i l t complexes always w a s h i n g a n d w a s h i n g a n d w a s h i n g O u t d a m n e d spot

T h e r e w o n ' t be no r e a l r e v o l u t i o n A n d |)oetry s t i l l t h e u n d e r w e a r o f t h e soul A n d underwear still covering a m u l t i t u d e of faults i n t h e geological sense— strange s e d i n i e n t a r y stones, i n s c r u t a b l e c r a c k s ! I f I were y o u I ' d keep aside an oversize p a i r o f w i n t e r u n d e r w e a r Do not go n a k e d i n t o t h a t g o o d n i g h t A n d i n the meantime keep c a l n i a n d w a r m a n d d r y N o use s t i r r i n g ourselves u p p r e m a t u r e l y 'over N o t h i n g ' Move forward with dignity h a n d i n vest

i .1

D o n ' t get e m o t i o n a l A n d death shall have no dominión T h e r c ' s p l e n t y of t i m e m y d a r l i n g A r e we n o t s t i l l y o u n g a n d easy Don't sliout

U n d e r w e a r w i t h spots v e r y suspicious U n d e r w e a r w i t h bulges v e r y s h o c k i n g U n d e r w e a r o n d o t h e s l i n e a great flag o f f r e e d o m Someone has escaped h i s U n d e r w e a r M a y be n a k e d somewhere Help! But don't worry Everybody's still hung up i n i t

COME BE

L I E WITH

ME AND

THE

orne lie witli me and be my love Love lie with me ; •

Lie down with me Under the cypress tree In the sweet grasses

, / ^

/ Where the wind lieth

; Where the wind dieth •,)

As night passes

;,y¡i,! ., (

Come lie with me All night with me

And have enough of kissing me And have enough of making love And let our two selves speak All night under the cypress tree Without making love

CHINESE

DRAGON

LOVE

GREAT

[

T^he great Chinese dragón which is the greatest dragón in all the world and which once upon a time was towed across the Pacific by a crew , ,' , of coolies rowing in an open boat—was I I the first real live dragón ever actually to reach these shores And the great Chinese dragón passing thru the Golden Gate , ,, sprouting streams of water like a string ,, . 1 of fireboats then broke loóse somewhere near China Camp gulped down a hundred Chinese seamen and forthwith ate up all the shrimp in San Francisco Hay And the great Chinese dragón was therefore forever after I eonfined in a Chinatown basement and , ,; ever since allowed out only for Chinese ¡;,, New Year's parades and other Un,;„;,, • I i; american demonstrations paternally 1, / „ , watehed-over by those benevolent men ¡, I, in blue who represent our more advanced civilization which has reached such a high state of democracy as to allow even a few barbarians to carry on 1. their quaint native customs in our midst And thus the great Chinese dragón which is the greatest dragón in all the world now can only .1 be seen creeping out of an Adler AUey I, cellar like a worm out of a hole some, • ! , time during the second week in Feb,, ; ; ,,,(, i ) ruary every year when it sorties out of , , hibernation in its Chinese storeroom : pushed from behind by a hand of forty-

t h r e e Chinese electriciana a n d t e c h n i cians w h o stuff its i>erÍ8taltic a c c o r d i o n hody up t h r u a sidewalk delivery entrance A n d first t h e s w a y i n g s n o u t appears a n d t h e n t h e eyes at g r o u n d level feelíng a l o n g t h e e u r h and t h e n t h e head i t s e l f casting a h o u t a n d s w a y i n g a n d h e a v i n g finally u p to t h e córner of Grant Avenue itself where a h u g e p a p e r sign p r o c l a i n i s t h e WorlrTs Largest Chinatown A n d t h e great Chinese dragon's j a w s w i r e d p e r m a n e n t l y ágape as i f b y a d e m e n t e d d e n t i s t t o d i s p l a y t h e C a d m i u m t e e t h as t h e h u n g r y h e a d heaves o u t i n t o G r a n t A v e n u e r i g h t u n d e r t h e sign a n d r a i s i n g i t s e l f w i t h a great s n o r t o f fire s u d d e n l y p r o c l a i n i a t h e official firecracker start o f t h e Chinese N e w Y e a r A n d t h e l i g h t b u l b eyes l i g h t i n g u p and p o p p i n g o u t o n c o i l e d w i r e springs a n d t h e b o d y s t r e t c h i n g and r o c k i n g f u r t h e r a n d f u r t h e r a r o u n d the córner and down Grant Avenue l i k e a eater|)illar r o l l e r coaster w i t h t h e eyes s p r u n g o u t and w a v i n g i n t h e a i r l i k e t h e b l i n d feelcrs o f some m e c h a n i cal p r e y i n g n i a n t i s a n d t h e eyes b l i n k i n g o n and off w i t h Chinese r e d p u p i l s a n d t i n y b a m b o o - b l i n d eyelids g o i n g u p and d o w n A n d s t i l l t h e t a i l o f t h e dragón i n t h e A d l e r A l l e y cellar u n c o i l i n g a n d unwindíng o u t i n t o t h e street w i t h t h e f o r t y t h r e e Chinese techn i c i a n s s t i l l stuffing t h e dragón o u t t h e hole i n the sidewalk and the head of t h e dragón n o w t h r e e b l o c k s a w a y i n

t h e m i d d l e o f t h e p a r a d e o f f a n c y floats p r e s i d e d over b y Chinese v i r g i n s A n d h e r e comes t h e St. M a r y V Chinese G i r l s ' D r u m Corps a n d h e r e come sixteen w h i t e m e n i n p i t h helmets b e a t i n g b i g bass d r u m s r e p r e s e n t i n g t h e O r d e r o f t h e Moose a n d h e r e comes a gang o f h a p p y car salesmen disguised as I s l a m S h r i n e r s a n d h e r e comes a c h a p t e r o f t h e O r d e r o f I m p r o v e d Red M e n and h e r e comes a cordón o f m o t o r c y c l e eops i n crash helmets w i t h r a d i o s g o i n g f o l l o w e d b y a small papier-máehé l i o n fed w i t h Neceo wafers and r u n b y t w o guys l e f t over f r o m a T e n - T e n f e s t i v a l w h i c h i n t u r n is f o l l o w e d b y t h e great Chinese dragón i t s e l f g o o k i n g over balconies as i t comes A n d t h e great Chinese dragón has eaten a h u n d r e d h u m a n s a n d t h e i r legs p o p o u t o f h i s i m d e r s i d e a n d are his w a l k i n g legs w h i c h are n o t mentioned i n the official p r i n t e d prog r a m i n w h i c h h e is w r i t t e n u p as t h e Great G o l d e n Dragón m a d e i n H o n g K o n g to t h e specifications o f t h e C h i nese C h a m b e r o f C o m m e r c e and he represents t h e f o r c é a n d m y s t e r y o f l i f e a n d his head swaya i n t h e sky b e t w e e n t h e balconies as he comes f o l l o w e d b y six Chinese b o y scouts w e a r i n g Keds a n d c a r r y i n g strings o f batteries t h a t l i g h t u p t h e dragón l i k e a n i g h t t i m e freeway A n d h e has l a i n a l l w i n t e r a m o n g a heap o f collapsed paper l a n t e r n s and green r u b b e r l i z a r d s a n d i v o r y backscratchers w i t h t h e i r o n side-

, ' í'- • '

w a l k doors closed over h i s h e a d b u t h e has n o w s p r u n g u p w i t h t h e first sign of Spring l i k e t h e forcé o f l i f e itself , ( í a n d h i s head sways i n t h e s k y a n d gooks i n green w i n d o w s as h e comes A n d h e is a m o n s t e r w i t h t h e h e a d o f a d o g a n d t h e b o d y o f a serpent r i s e n y e a r l y o u t o f t h e sea i • to devour a v i r g i n t h r o w n f r o m a eliff , |~ ;, ' '

:i ; ,í¡ I ' I!; ' : ,)

t o appease h i m a n d h e is a y o u n g m a n handsonie and d r u n k ogling t h e girls a n d h e has h i g h ideáis a n d a h u n d r e d s p o r t shoes a n d l i e says N o t o M o t h e r a n d h e is a b i g r e d t a b l e t h e w o r l d w i l l

• ' i '„ ''..•;'•'( ' , I, ' > ;:,

never t i l t a n d h e has b i g eyes everyw h e r e t h r u w h i c h h e sees a l l w o m a n k i n d m i l k w h i t e a n d dove-breasted a n d h e w i l l eat t h e i r w a t e r f l o w e r s f o r h e is

: '' ii; I . ;i( i; ,' , I:,

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)C i,

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o u r existence i n i t s m o s t p r o f o u n d sense as h e comes a n d h e has n o C h r i s -

even as h e sees t h e s p i r i t u a l e v e r y w h e r e

t i a n answer t o t h e e x i s t e n t i a l q u e s t i o n > • !

'•'•r.¡ I

" :7 [I-':.. ,i.

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translucent i n the m a t e r i a l w o r l d and h e does n o t w a n t t o escape t h e responsib i l i t y o f b e i n g a dragón o r t h e eonsequences o f h i s l o n g h o r n y t a i l s t i l l b u r i e d i n t h e basement b u t t h e b l u e citizens o n t h e i r t a l k i n g eycles t h i n k t h a t h e w an t s t o escape a n d at a l l costs

' i ! '

more powerful and more omniverous t h a n the papier-máché l i o n r u n b y two guys a n d h e is t h e great e a r t h w o r m o f l u c k y l i f e filled w i t h flowing Chinese semen a n d h e considers b i s o w n a n d

t h e cat w i t h f u t u r e feet w e a r i n g K e d s a n d h e eats cake o u t o f p a s t r y w i n d o w s

i i f ^. ^ ' j¡

1 i;

, , 1, , , • i:

a n d is h u n g r i e r a n d m o r e p o t e n t a n d

i I

;

•

' ,

h e m u s t n o t b e a l l o w e d t o escape because t h e great Chinese dragón is t h e greatest p o t e n t i a l dragón i n a l l t h e w o r l d a n d i f a l l o w e d t o escape f r o m C h i n a t o w n m i g h t g a l l o p away u p t h e i r n e w f r e e w a y at t h e B r o a d w a y entrance ' m i s t a k i n g i t f o r a G r e a t W a l l of C h i n a o r eome o t h e r b a r b a r í a n b a r r i e r a n d so go e a r e e n i n g a l o n g i t c h e w i n g u p stanchions a n d signposts a n d b e l e h i n g f o r t h some strange d i s i n t e g r a t i n g m é d i u m w h i c h m i g h t m e l t d o w n t h e great concrete w a l l s o f A m e r i c a a n d t h e y are a f r a i d o f h o w f a r t h e great Chinese dragón m i g h t r e a l l y go s t a r t i n g f r o m : San Francisco a n d so t h e y have secretly a n d securely t i e d d o w n t h e v e r y e n d o f his t a i l i n i t s h o l e 80 t h a t t h i s great p u l s i n g p h a l l u s of l i f e at t h e v e r y e n d o f i t s p a r a d e at t h e v e r y e n d o f C h i n a t o w n gives o n e w i l d o r g a s m o f a s l i u d d e r a n d rolls over f a i n t i n g i n t h e b r i g h t n i g h t street since even f o r a dragón

every orgasm is a l i t t l e d e a t h A n d t h e n t h e great Chinese dragón starts s i l e n t l y s h r i n k i n g a n d s h r i v e l i n g u p a n d d r a w i n g b ack a n d b a c k a n d b a c k t o i t s first cave a n d t h e soft s i l k s k i n w r i n k l e s u p a n d s h r i n k s a n d s h r i n k s o n its s p r u n g b a m boo bones a n d t h e h a n d s o m e dejected h e a d hangs d o w n l i k e a defeated p r i z e figliter's and so is st u f f ed d o w n a g a i n at last i n t o i t s pr ív at e place a n d t h e c e l l a r s i d e w a l k doors press d o w n a g a i n o v e r 77

t h e great w i l t e d h e a d w i t h one s m a l l h o l e o f a n eye h l i n k i n g s t i l l t h r u t h e gratings o f t h e m e t a l doors as t h e great Cliinese drag贸n gives one last eonv u l s i v e e a r t h q u a k e shake a n d r o l l s over dead-dog to w a i t a n o t h e r w h i t e year f o r t h e final c o m i n g a n d t h e final s o w i n g o f his oats a n d t e e t h

from

T h e Secret M e a n i n g o f T h i n g s 1968

A S S A S S I N A T I O N

R A G A

T X u n e i n t o a raga o n t h e stereo and t u r n o n Death T V

•

w i t h o u t its s o u n d O u t s i d e t h e p l u m s are g r o w i n g i n a t r e e ' T h e f o r c é t h a t t h r o u g h t h e green fuse drives the flower' drives D e a t h T V ' A g r i e f ago' T h e y l o w e r t h e b o d y soundlessly into a huge plañe i n Dallas i n t o a h u g e p l a ñ e i n Los Angeles m a r k e d ' U n i t e d States o f A m e r i c a ' a n d soundlessly t h e ' U n i t e d States of A m e r i c a ' takes off & w i n g s away w i t h t h a t B o d y T u n e o u t the T V sound & l i s t e n soundlessly to t h e b l i n d m o u t h s o f its m o t o r s & a s i t a r speaking o n t h e stereo a raga i n a rage at a l l t h a t b l a c k d e a t h

and all that bad karma La illaha

el lili

Allah

T h e r e is n o g o d b u t G o d T h e forcé that t h r o u g h the red fuze

drives t h e needle i n its d h a r m a groove and m a n t h e needle

o f t h e ' U n i t e d States o f A m e r i c a ' t h r o u g h its s k y f u l l o f s h i t & d e a t h a n d t h e sky never ends as i t w i n g s soundlessly f r o m those f u e k e d - u p cities whose ñ a m e s w e ' d r a t h e r n o t r e m e m b e r

inside the plañe a wife

w h i c h t h e y keep flying f r o m Dallas w h i c h t h e y keep f l y i n g f r o m Los A n g e l

w i t h o u t f o l d i n g its w i n g s its shadow i n n i o u r n i n g f o r i t s e l f w i t h d r a w s into itself i n death's d r a g g y d o m i n i ó n La illaha

el lili Allah

¡ii

T h e r e is n o g o d b u t D e a t h ?

drove his life drives everyone

lies soundlessly

La illaha

against t h e cofün E n g i n e w h i n e s as sitar sings o u t r a g e o u s l y Allah

T h e r e is n o g o d b u t G o d ? T h e r e is no g o d b u t D e a t h ? T h e p l u m s are f a l H n g t h r o u g h t h e t r e e T h e f o r c é t h a t drives t h e b u l l e t

t h r o u g h t h e s w i f t fierce years

T h e f o r c é t h a t t h r o u g h t h e green f u z e

Inside the plañe

t h r o u g h the gun

flies o n sightlessly

A n d the plañe lands

drives t h a t p l a ñ e

el lili

as t h e ' U n i t e d States o f A m é r i c a '

w i t h t h e dead w e i g h t of its Body

drives t h e b u l l e t

La illaha

d r i v e s everj'one

el lili

Allah

A n d t h e y are d r i v i n g t h e B o d y t h e y are d r i v i n g t h e B o d y up F i f t h Avenue past a m i l l i o n p e o p l e i n l i n e ' W e are g o i n g to be h e r e a l o n g t i m e ' says D e a t h T V ' s s p i e l m a n T h e c o r t é g e passes soundlessly

' G o o d b y e ! G o o d b y e ! ' some p e o p l e ery

against oíd d u n g & d e a t h

T h e traffic flows a r o u n d & o n

La illaha

el lili

Allah

T h e f o r c é t h a t drivea t h e cars

La illaha

el lili

Allah

combusts o u r k a r m a

T h e f o r c é t h a t s t r i k e s its strings

La illaha

strikes us

el lili

Allah

T h e r e is n o god b u t U e a t h ?

A n d the funeral t r a i n

T h e f o r c é t h a t drives o u r l i f e to d e a t h

t h e silver t r a i n

drives sitar too

starts u p soundlessly

so soundlessly

at a dead speed

La illaha

el lili

Allah

over t h e h o t l a n d

A n d they l i f t the Body

an a r m e d h e l i c o p t e r over i t

They l i f t the Body

T h e y are e l e a r i n g t h e t r a c k s ahead o f assassins

o f t h e U n i t e d States o f A m e r i c a

T h e t r a c k s are l i n e d w i t h h a r é faces

and e a r r y i t i n t o a c a t h e d r a l

A highschool band i n N e w B r u n s w i c k plays

singing H a l l e l u j a h He Shall Live

T h e Batlle H y m n of the Republic

F o r ever & ever

T h e y have s h o t i t d o w n a g a i n

A n d t h e n t h e B o d y moves a g a i n

T h e y have shot h i m d o w n a g a i n

down Fifth Avenue

& w i l l shoot h i m d o w n a g a i n

F i f t y - s e v e n b l a c k sedans a f t e r i t

& take h i m on a t r a i n

T h e r e are p e o p l e w i t h roses

& l o w e r h i m again

b e h i n d the barricades

i n t o a grave i n W a s h i n g t o n

i n bargain-basement dresses

La illaha

A n d s i t a r sings & sings n o n v i o l e n c e

Day & n i g h t j o u r n e y s t h e coffin

sitar sounds i n us its images o f ecstasy

through the dark land

its d e p t h o f ecstasy

too d a r k n o w to see t h e d a r k faces

el lili

Allah

La illaha

el lili

Allah

Plunií; & planes are f a l l i n g t h r o u g h t h e a i r La illaha

el lili

Allah . i r ,

as sitar sings t h e o n l y answer

, ;

',;

Atman:

sitar sings its o n l y answer

t h a t s t i l l can s t i l l a l l v í o l e n c e

, í ;

' i ,

', .

sounds & sounds i n us its l o v e l y om om

Noitrse

i,:»,

.; . • • , ',, 'i.

read, to a loud Robert

' • |./|,

. ' • ^, ' i ,,

. ' ',

evening

Anditorium,

Kennedy

was

raga, at "The San

•, ^ i '^ /;¡, ,

| ',

•

'i'-'.

Incredible

Francisco,

June

Poetry 8,

1968,

buried.

"Death TV": the phrase romes from "So TV" by William Burroughs, Claude Pélieu

inaudi-

i' . , ,

el lili Allah

hehind the harricades!

the day

"ideal,

Allah

People w i t h roses

First

assent—the

,, ,

A t cverv step t h e p u r é w i n d rises

Reading,"

S i t a r hreathes its A t i n a n h r e a t h i n us

La illaha

principie.

,,. ., ,

S i t a r sounds o n us to l()ve love & hate h a t e

el lili

S i t a r says i t S i t a r sounds i t

La illaha

soul, life

el lili Allah

T h e í e is n o g o d h u t L i f e

breath,

Om: originally a syllahle denoting ble sound" of the universe. . . .

sitar sounds t h e o n l y s o u n d

La illaha

"The forcé that through the green fuse drives the flower" & **A grief ago": from Dylan Thomas. "La illaha el lili Allah": variation of a Snfi ecstatic chant. A corruption of the Koran. "The sivift fierce years": from a phrase in Eldridge Cleavers "Soul On Ice."

Who Owns Death & Cari Weissner.

«7

M O S C O W

T H E

W I L D E R N E S S ,

S E G O V I A

T H E

S N O W

i d n i g h t Moscow A i r p o r t sucks m e i n f r o m S i b e r i a A n d blowR m e o u t alone i n a b l a c k bus d o w n d a r k s t r a i g h t n i g h t roads s t a r k snow p l a i n s e t e r n a l taiga i n t o monster Moscow stands o f w h i t e b i r c h e s

ghosted i n t h e g l o a m i n g W h e r e of a sudden Segovia bursts t h r u over t h e airwaves They've let h i m i n to d r i v e t h e d a r k bus Segovia's h a n d s grasp t h e steering w h e e l Yokels i n housing projeets d r o p t h e i r balalaikas & b i r c h banjos Segovia comes o n l i k e t h e pulse o f l i f e i t s e l f Segovia comes o n t h r u t h e s n o w d r i f t s and p l a i n s o f L a M a n c h a fields & fields & fields of frozen musie m e l t e d o n bus r a d i o s Segovia at t h e i n s t r u m e n t driving t h r u the night land of Antiquera Granada Seville 88

Tracery of the A l h a m b r a i n a b i l l i o n w l i i t c birches b o r n i n t h e snow trills of blackbirds i n t h e m Segovia w a r m s his h a n d s and m e l t s M o s c o w moves his h a n d with a circular motion over a n i v o r y b r i d g e to gutted Stalingrads Segovia k n o w s no answer He's no G o y a & he's no Picasso b u t also he's n o Sleeping G y p s y W i t h G u i t a r Guarded by a Lion a n d w h o k n o w s i f h e slept w i t h Franco H e k n o w s b l a c k condora fly H e k n o w s a f r e e w o r l d w h e n h e hears one H i s s t r u m s are r u n s u p o n i t H e does n o t f r e t H e p l u c k s his guts a n d listens t o h i m s e l f as h e p l a y s a n d speaks to h i m s e l f a n d echoes h i m s e l f A n d h e keepa d r i v i n g & d r i v i n g his i n s t r u m e n t d o w n t h e w i d e d a r k ways i n t o great M o s c o w d o w n the black boulevards past K r e m l i n l i t & l o c k e d i n its h a r d d r e a m i n t h e great Russian n i g h t I>ast B o l s h o i B a l l e t & G o r k y I n s t i t u t e J o h n Reed at t h e D r a m a T h e a t r e S t a l y a g i & h e r o i n at T a g a n k a

Stone M a y a k o v a k y stares t h r u a h h z z a r d o f w h i t e notes i n Russian w i n t e r l i g h t Segovia hears his stoned ery a n d he hears t h e pulse Ín t h e b l o o d as he listens to l i f e as he ]>lay8 a n d he keeps c o m i n g & c o m i n g '' t h r u t h e Russian w i n t e r n i g h t He's i n Moscow h u t doesn't k n o w i t ,|, , H e p l a y e d s o m e w h e r e else i• a n d i t comes o u t h e r e i n a t h a w o n an a i r w a v e

over Gogol's D a r k P e o p l e s t a r k figures • '.'i •¡r'X v • i n t h e w h i t e n i g h t streets

c l o t t e d i n t h e snow H e listens to t h e m as h e goes a l o n g H e listens f o r a f r e e song

VV'.M'

'i !

vi i

a f t e r fifty Octobers Segovia w a l k s t h r u t h e snow j; }

w i t h w h i c h they can p l a y a n y t h i n g freely & simply , i^l , ' ;i i

' , '. • í

i'"'''

n '

i , ! •': , >'

' •

V; <

•

. i

H e has n o message i .• • .:• ' • ' ¡ ' ' • • ' ' ' H e is his o w n message bis o w n i d e a l s o u n d ; ; ,v^i\. A n d he sounds so l o n e l y to h i m s e l f ' '••' i, ' i i as he goes o n p l a y i n g >i ( , ''i i n t h e i r o n - w h i t e streets

• !, ,i

A n d h e is s a y i n g : I say a l l I k n o w & I k n o w no meaning H e is saying

& t h e y k n o w w h a t i t means t o d i g i n m a h o g a n y cities , Segovia teaches t h e m o p e n - t u n i n g . i'

H i s music has a l o n g i n g s o u n d H e yearns & y e t does n o t y e a r n H e exists & is t r a n q u i l

, v. í'

back home H e t u r n s away & goes o n d o w n V o r o v s k y Street

r.i

';• '•:

to t h e W r i t e r s ' U n i o n H e meets t h e oíd h a i r s t h a t r u n i t They dig h i m

T h i s is n o t h i s Master Class

a familiar thud such as he sometimes hears

i n spite o f a l l

such as h e h a r d l y hears i , ' , , :', back home :.'i:''r r\' .' Is L e n i n l i s t e n i n g

l i s t e n i n g as he goes d o w n V o r o v s k y Street

H e leaves t h e m h u m m i n g & goes o n ; Segovia plays i n t h e loóse snow 'i a n d digs a b i t alone '. > : u n d e r t h e f r e e surface r w i t h his f r e e h a n d ' H e strikes s o f t l y as h e listens H e hears a d u l l t h u d ' i , •; ' • i w h e r e s o m e t h i n g is b u r i e d ; ,. ' •

v - <IM >

T h i s is t h e song o f e v e n i n g w h e n t h e s p h i n x lies d o w n T h i s is t h e song o f t h e day t h a t begins & begins The night lifts

* '

• • ^ ' ,

i "• '

its w h i t e n i g h t - s t i e k T h e ash of l i f e dries m y song

• i

¡ '

If you only knew H e is saying M y love m y love w h e r e are y o u U n d e r the pomegranate tree H e is s a y i n g W h e r e is j o y w h e r e is ecstasy s t r e t c h e d o u t i n t h e snow w h e r e o n l y t h e h i r d s are at h o m e H e is saying T h e r e ' s a h u g e emptiness h e r e t h a t stares f r o m a l l t h e faces A l l t h a t is lost m u s t h e l o o k e d f o r once m o r e H e is saying Far f r o m me far f r o m me * y o u are t h e h o u r & t h e g e n e r a t i o n they m a r k e d f o r result H e is s a y i n g I am your r u i n unique & immortal I a m y o u r happiness u n k n o w n I am l i g h t w h e r e y o u are d a r k w h e r e y o u are heavy H e is saying I a m a n oíd m a n a n d l i f e flowers i n t h e w i n d o w s o f t h e sun B u t w h e r e is t h e sun t h e s u n , ;^ Soleares . . . O n t h e steps o f a j a i l that looks l i k e a church h e finds a w h i t e b i r d

W h a t is i m p o r t a n t i n l i f e ? says t h e b i r d Segovia says N a d a b u t keeps o n p l a y i n g his Answer A n d h e cries o u t n o w w h e n h e sees a strange w o m a n o r sees a strange t h i n g A n d h e hears m a n y strange w o m e n ' & m a n y Strange t h i n g s . ,^¡'

a f t e r f i f t y Octobers

& fifty strange springs A n d Segovia f o l l o w s thérii"™"™™""""^"*-'---. d o w n t h e i r streets a n d i n t o t h e i r houses and i n t o their rooms a n d i n t o t h e n i g h t o f t h e i r beds A n d w a i t s f o r t h e m t o m a k e love A n d w a i t s f o r t h e m t o speak A n d w a i t s & w a i t s f o r t h e m t o speak A n d h e cries o u t n o w w h e n h e hears t l i e n i speak at last i n t h e i r last r e t r e a t N o h e doesn't ery o u t H e n e v e r cries o u t H e is t a c i t u r n & never sings O n l y h i s i n s t r u m e n t speaks & sings B u t w h e n i t does sing w h e n i t does e r y o u t at w h a t i t hears an a n c i e n t a r m a d i l l o asleep f o r centuries i n t h e cellar o f t h e K r e m l i n raises i t s h o r n y h e a d opens its square t h i r d eye a n d looks a r o u n d h l i n k i n g

i J /

and tlien at last ' i unglues it.s grcat gut mouth and utters ecstatic static

Moscow-San Dedicated

Francisco, to Andrei

March, Voznesi*nsky

;: fif' " iĂ? <

1967 & Yevgeni

Yevtushenko

T R U E

C O N F E S S I O N A L

J. was conceived i n t h e s u m m e r o f N i n e t e e n E i g h t e e n ( o r was i t T h i r t y E i g h t ) w h e n some k i n d of w a r was g o i n g o n b u t i t d i d n ' t stop t w o people f r o m m a k i n g love i n Osaining t h a t year I l i k e t o t h i n k o n a r i v e r b a n k i n sun on a picnic by the Hudson as i n a p a i n t i n g of t h e H u d s o n R i v e r School o r u p at B e a r M o u n t a i n m a y b e a f t e r t a k i n g t h e oíd H u d s o n R i v e r L i n e p a d d l e w h e e l excursión steamer ( I m a y have a d d e d t h e p a d d l e w h e e l — the Hudson my Mississippi)

A n d o n t h e w a y b a c k she already c u r r i e d m e inside of her I lawrence f e r l i n g h e t t i w r o u g h t f r o m t h e d a r k i n m y m o t h e r l o n g ago b o r n i n a small back bedroom— I n the next r o o m m y brother heard t h e f i r s t ery, m a n y years l a t e r w r o t e m e —

Í .V^ •

" P o o r M o m - N o h u s b a n d — N o m o n e y — P o p dead— H o w she w e n t t h r o u g h i t a l l — " Someone stpieezed m y h e a r t to m a k e i t go I c r i e d a n d sprang u p O p e n eye open h e a r t w h e r e do I wander I c r i e d a n d r a n off i n t o t h e h e a r t of the w o r l d C a r r i e d away

by another I k n e w not A n d w h i c h of me s h a l l k n o w m y b r o t h e r ? ' I a m m y son, m y m o l h e r , m y f a t h e r , I a m b o r n of myself m y o w n flesh s u c k e d ' A n d someone squeezed m y h e a r t t o m a k e m e go A n d I began to go through my number

' i

•

i n t h i s place w h i c h s t i l l exists inside m y s e l f

a n d hasn't changed t h a t m u c h

c e r t a i n l y n o t as m u c h

I was a w i n d - u p t o y someone h a d d r o p p e d w o u n d - u p

as t h e o u t s i d e

V >

i n t o a w o r l d already

w i t h its bag of s k i n

running down T h e w o r l d h a d been g o i n g o n

' ' '*! :''•''''',) '

a l o n g t i m e a lr e a dy

í '

b u t i t made no difference

;

I t was new i t was l i k e n e w i made i t new

•

and i t spun i n the sun and the skein i t spun

^'^^íiíio'oíf..' ii •'Oí.-í'

i n the heart v a j r u lotus d i a m o n d h e a r t wherein I read

t h e p o e m t h a t never ends

''.•'f.vi'

M y l i f e was m a d e o f i t m a d e of t h e skeins o f l i g h t

T h e cobwebs o f N i g h t were not on i t were n o t of i t I t was t o o b r i g h t

^' •;

,' .;, Í

' •<

to see too luniinous to cast a shadow a n d t h e r e was a n o t h e r w o r l d b e h i n d t h e b r i g h t screens I h a d o n l y to cióse m y eyes

i;',' , , v'-• ' .

a n d its b l u e b l u e eyes w h i c h see as one eye i n t h e m i d d l e of t h e h e a d except w h a t happens

' > ' ' ^' • '\ . ' ^ «' '

waspurehght

a n d its ' a l u m i n u m h e a r d '

w h e r e e v e r y t h i n g happens

i saw i t s h i n í n g a n d i t shone i n t h e s u n

f o r a n o t h e r w o r l d t o appear t o o n ear a n d too dear t o be a n y t h i n g b u t m y s e l f m y i n s i d e self where everything real ' ' was t o h a p p e n

' '

IN F O R

T I M E

O F

R E V O L U T I O N

I N S T A N C E

h a d j u s t o r d e r e d a fishplate at t h e c o u n t e r w h e n

three very h e a u t i f u l f u c k e d - u p people e n t e r e d

< .

1 d o n ' t k n o w h o w or w h y I t h o u g h t t h e y m u s t be

f u c k e d - u p except t h e y were v e r y b e a u t i f u l t w o m e n a n d one v e r y beautiful goldenhaired young w o m a n very well groomed and w e a r i n g sports clothes l i k e as i f t h e y must have

•• •

j u s t g o t t e n o u t of an o l d - f a s h i o n e d Stutz

roadster w i t h t o p " ' ' d o w n a n d tennis rackets a n d the w o m a n strode t o t h e b a c k

„.

of t h e r e s t a u r a n t f o u n d a vacant table a n d strode b a c k a n d got the o t h e r t w o b e c k o n i n g w i t h elegant gestures a n d

they o b v i o u s l y h a d n o I n d i a n or E y e t a l i a n blood i n them a n d she o b v i o u s l y w i t h • so m a n y avenues o p e n t o her w i t h her two men

•

one of w h o m c o u l d have b e e n her b r o t h e r I could not imagine her a carbina a n d

carrying

she k e p t tossing h e r h a i r ever so g e n t l y o u t o f her eyes a n d

s m i l i n g s l i g h t i y at t h e m a n d

s m i l i n g at b o t h of t h e m a n d

the t h r e e of t h e m w a l k e d b a c k slowly t o t h e table

at n o t h i n g i n p a r t i c u l a r t h a t I

as i f t h e y were n o t a f r a i d

100

_ ANQLOAMfilUCANO l o v e l y expressions a n d the very lovely young lady settled h e r s e l f so easily on the settee beside t h e y o u n g e r o f the t w o m e n b o t h of w h o m h a d l i g h t b r o w n w a v y h a i r n o t too l o n g and cut like H o l l y w o o d tennis stars o r a n y w a y l i k e visitors f r o m some o t h e r t o w n m o r e elegant t h a n o u r o w n a n d they were o b v i o u s l y so m u c h b e t t e r l o o k i n g a n d so m u c h b e t t e r b r o u g h t up t h a n anyone else i n the place they l o o k e d l i k e thev m i g h t be r e l a t e d to t h e K e n n e d y s a n d

could imagine and h e r lips were m o v i n g gently w i t h

of a n y t h i n g or anyone i n t h a t place a n d

h e r gentle smile and

t o o k possession of i t w i t h

she c o u l d possibly be saying w i t h

I k e p t t r y i n g to i m a g i n e w h a t

101

those perfect Hps over those perfect t e e t h so w h i t e w i t h h e r eyes n o w a n d t h e n sHding over a n d d o w n t h e c o u n t e r w h e r e a l o t o f Httle people sat quietly eating their quite ordinary lunches w h i l e t h e t h r e e b e a u t i f u l people w h o c o u l d have been a n y w h e r e i seemed j u s t a b o u t to o r d e r ' > : s o m e t h i n g special a n d eat i t w i t h ice c r e a m a n d cigarettes a n d m y ñsh fínally a r r i v e d l o o k i n g not quite unfrozen and q u i t e plástic b u t I decided to eat i t a n y w a y she was a b e a u t i f u l c r e a t u r e a n d I f e l t l i k e C h a r l i e C h a p l i n e a t i n g his shoe w h e n h e r eyes s l i d over me t h e M o d e r n Jass Q u a r t e t came over t h e M u z a k speakers a n d u n d e r o t h e r circumstanees in a time of rt'volution for instance

S T O N E

R E A L I T Y

M E D I T A T I O N

I { i i n u i n k i n < t can i n d e e d hear very m u c h reality T h a t 'husy l i t t l e monster manimkind' can bear i t too So m a y w o m a n k i n d So can every k i n d o f clay a n d creature Trees t o o can bear i t a f t e r t h e leaves have flown away a f t e r the h i r d s have h l o w n away *bare r u i n e d c h o i r s ' bear i t as stones do T h e y too bear t h e 'heavy w e i g h t of creation' as we d o cast i n clay a n d stoned i n e a r t h Masters o f ecstasy ,

w e m i g h t have m a d e i t

103

S U N R I S E ,

B O L I N A S

X h i s little heart that rememhers every l i t t l e t h i n g begins t h e day most o f t h e t i m e b y a n a t t e m p t at s i n g i n g some s u n n y r h y m e Such e f f r o n t e r y , such a u d a c i t y i n t h e face of e v e r y t h i n g ! S t i l l F U sing at t h e sun for a beginning— Such p r e s u m p t i o n , such p e r v e r s i t y to m i s t a k e b i r d - c r i e s f o r song w h e n t h e y m a y r e a l l y be cries of d e s p a i r ! As i f o u r l i f e as i f a l l l i f e were n o t a t r a g e d y t h o u g h a l l is passing f a i r As i f o u r l i f e were n o t so v e r y v a r i o u s as to t u r n i t a l l t o l i t a n y —

P H O E N I X

F I F T Y

. A - t new age fifty ,*,turn i n w a r d o n oíd self a n d r o c k o n m y b a c k i n a t o r n green h a m m o c k deep i n a r u i n e d g a r d e n w h e r e first t h e sweet b i r d s sang b e h i n d a w h i t e w o o d cottage at M o n t e c i t o Santa B a r b a r a s u n k i n sea-vine succulents i m d e r huge oíd eucalyptrees w i n d blows w h i t e sunlight t h r u A m u t e r u i n e d statue of a n y m p h d a n c i n g t u r n s i n sun as i f l o sing ' W h e n day is d o n e ' I t is n o t A h e l i c o p t e r flies o u t o f an angle of t h e sun its w i n d m i l l choppers w a v i n g t h r u t h e w a v i n g treetops t h r u w h i c h the hot w i n d blows & blows puré desire m a d e o f l i g h t I float o n m y b a c k i n t h e sea of i t a n d gaze s t r a i g h t u p i n t o eye-white sky as i n t o eyes o f one h e l o v e d w h i s p e r i n g 'Let me

O d r u n k flute

in' O Golden M o u t h

Too bright sing a m a d song to save U S

too b r i g h t ! I cióse m y eyes lest sun t h r u such lenses set m e afire

104

l«f«w^;<a»IHj|LjLI.] ,1,1.

b u t i h e b l o w n l i g h t batters t h r u lids a n i l lashes I b u r n and leave no ashe» Y e t w i l l arise

T H E (To

MAN

D. H.

W H O

R O D E

AWAY

Lawrence)

• - A . h o v e Tao8 n o w I peer t h r o u g h t h e c r a c l of y o u r l o c k e d d o o r Dead Lawrence a n d t h e r e i n d e e d I see t h e y ' v e got y o u n o w at last safely stashed away l o c k e d away f r o m t h e l i g h t o f y o u r dear sun i n t h e w e i r d great d a r k of y o u r l i t t l e shuttered shrine w i t h t h e d a r k b r o w n cover o f y o u r oíd p o r t a b l e clenched l i k e a j a w u p o n d u m b keys t e e t h sans t o n g u e as i n a m u t e mask of a G r e e k m e g a p h o n e A l l here's real p r o o f the soul has its rages— dampered! in darkness! shrine locked— booby-trapped for burglars— p l u m e d serpent stoned into a gargoyle!

106

Lawrence Lawrence bearded D a v i d

Y o u have y o n r b l u e d e n i m j a e k e t Phoenix

flamed

o u t of a m i n e - h e a d

Y o u have y o u r crazy Stetson ash t o ash

S o w n i n Vence a n d resown i n A m e r i c a

Y o u r t i n p h o e n i x t a c k e d t o a tree drops i n a giftshop w i n d o w

(del Norte) Where now

A mistral wind rattles t h e p i n e needles o f y o u r bones

here now y o u r p o r t a b l e seed has b l o w n away O t h e r seeds are g r o w i n g N o t yours Lawrence i n t h e w h i t e sands proving grounds! L a w r e n c e n o w I see y o n come alone f r o m your cribbed cabin a l l fenced i n t h e b a c k y a r d c o m p o u n d of t h a t b i g caretaker's house Y o u stand still a m o m e n t i n the still air. Y o u r eyes have a M e x i c a n l o o k turned South over t h e a r r o y o s ahora y

siempre

l i n t e r is c o m i n g Y o u have y o u r t i c k e t

108

â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

E L E G Y

O N

O F

K E N N E T H

T H E

A n d w h e n such a one dies even t h e agents o f D e a t h s h o u l d take note a n d shake t h e s h i t f r o m t h e i r w i n g s i n A i r Forcé One

D E A T H

P A T C H E N

p o e t ift b o r n , .;; A poet dies A n d a l l t b a t lies between i , ,,

;

;•

•

• •

isUS •'íiyiiít; and the w o r l d

m a k i n g us i f i t h u d got h i s message '

b u t most of t h e w o r l d w i s h i n g

'•

• '

'O m y d a r l i n g t r o u b l e s heaven w i t h h e r loveliness' A n d s t i l l w e love to hear h i m say ' '

i t could just forget about h i m and his a w f i d strange p r o p h e c i e s

'As we are so w o n d e r f u l l y done w i t h each o t h e r W e can w a l k i n t o o u r sepárate sleep O n íloors of music w h e r e t h e m i l k w h i t e eloak of c h i l d h o o d lies' ' A n d s t i l l we hear h i m saying

A l o n g w i t h a l l t h e o t h e r strange t h i n g s he said a b o u t t h e w o r l d w h i c h were a l l too t r u e a n d w h i c h m a d e t h e m fear h i m

A n d s t i l l we hear h i m say >;!'!• ' D o í not deal w i t h angeis when her lips I touch' A n d s t i l l we hear h i m say

A n d t h e w o r l d lies a b o u t i t even t h o u g h i t is p o e t r y

B u t t h e y do n o t i A n d t h e s h i t s t i l l flies A n d t h e poet n o w is disconnected a n d w o n ' t c a l i back t h o u g h he spoke m u c h o f love , .

more than they loved h i m

' T h e r e f o r e t h e constant powers do n o t lessen. Ñor is t h e p r o p e r t y of t h e s p i r i t scattered on t h e c o l d h i l l s of these events' A n d s t i l l we hear h i m a s k i n g

t h o u g h he spoke m u c h o f love A l o n g w i t h a l l t h e a l a r m s he sounded w h i c h t u r n e d o u t to be false i f only for the m o m e n t

' D o t h e dead k n o w w h a t t i m e i t is?'

a l l of w h i c h m a d e t h e m f e a r h i s t o n g u e more than they loved h i m

H e is gone u n d e r

T h o u g h he spoke m u c h o f love

H e is scattered

and never l i v e d b y 'silence e x i l e & e u n n i n g '

undersea

a n d was a l o u d conscientious o b j e e t o r to t h e deaths we d u i l y give each o t h e r t h o u g h we speak m u c h o f l o v e

and knows what time b u t w o n ' t be back t o t e l l i t H e w o u h l he l o o [ ) r o u d to c u l i back a n y w a y A n d t o o f u l l of strange l a u g h t e r to speak to us a n y m o r e a n y w a y

110

' • ' ,

•.

A n d t h e w e i g h t o f h u m a n experience lies u p o n t h e w o r l d l i k e t h e chains o f t h e sea

I M A G I N A R Y

H A P P E N I N G ,

i n w h i c h he singa A n d he awings i n t h e tides o f t h e sea A n d his ashes are washed

In t h e l o w e r l e f t - h a n d c 贸 r n e r

i n t h e ides of t h e sea A n d *an astonished eye l o o ks o n t of t h e a i r '

w i t h a noted nymphomaniac

L O N D O N

o f a n 谩 l b u m landscape I am walking thru a dark park t r y i n g t o discover f o r w h a t she is n o t e d

l o see t h e poet s i n g i n g t h e r e

W e are t a l k i n g as w e w a l k

A n d dusk f a l l s d o w n a coast somewhere

of v a r i o u s v i l l a i n i e s o f c h u r c h & state

w h e r e a w h i t e horse w i t h o u t a r i d e r

a n d of t h e t y r a n n i e s

turns its head

of love & hate

to t h e sea

T h e m o o n makes hairless nudes First read at the City Lights Memorial Reading, February

Poets Theatre 3, 1972, San

Kenneth Francisco

Patchen A n alabaster g i r l u p o n h e r b ack becomes a b o d y m a d e of soap b e n e a t h a w e t gypsy Suddenly we rush t h r u a b e n t gate i n t o t h e h o t grass O n e m o r e tree f a l l s i n t h e forest

112

y""" [f' "i"f-'

T H O U G H T S OF

T O

C O N C E R T O

T E L E M A N N

A he c u r i o u s u p w a r d s t u m b l i n g m o t i o n of t h e oboe d ' a m o r e '

anymore, ñor heart hear i t ñ o r l i f e bear i t anymore. Y e t i t does, i t d o e s !

" ;

m u s t be love i t s e l f a m o n g t h e strands of e m o t i o n . I t is as i f i t s m o t i o n w e r e n o t its o w n at a l l ,

' '

as i f these hands h a d never s t r u c k those strings w e sing t o ,

' '

swing lo (as p u p p e t s d o , u n b r o k e n )

as i f we never r e a l l y m e a n t to be so s t r u n g to those sweet p i l c h e s

l o v e so frets US to so t a u t l y

. , I

' .'

•

•' ' . •

so n i u t e l y (love's bodies l a i d l i k e h a r p s ! )

a n d t h e n as i f t h e r e never were s t i l l m o r e

' , ,i '

unspoken, as i f d u m b m i n d d i d never grieve among the woodwinds, as i f its chords d i d never q u i v e r a n y m o r e

as i n a b u r i e d m a n d o l í n , as i f t h a t love were h a r d l y i n ít

•.

anymore, ñor sounded i n i t

114

116

T O C (After

T O C : A

C O U P L E

O B S E R V E D

P O U N D

S P O L E T O

Apollinaire) I w a l k e d i n t o a loge i n t h e T e a t r o Melisso, t h e l o v e l y Renaissanee salle w h e r e t h e p o e t r y readings a n d t h e c h a m b e r concerts T V i t h o u t closing its w i n g s t h e plañe lands its shadow i n m o u r n i n g for itself come d o w n to i t s e l f o n e a r t h Toe toe t h e cloek i n t h e t o w e r c o n t i n ú e s to cast its shadow onto the airfield Toe toe a n o t h e r s t r o k e of the f e a t h e r strikes a n o t h e r l i n e i n m y face M y shadow i n m o u r n i n g

were h e l d every day of the Spoleto F e s t i v a l , a n d s u d d e n l y saw E z r a P o u n d f o r t h e first t i m e , s t i l l as a m a n d a r i n statue i n a box i n a b a l c o n y at t h e back of t h e t h e a t r e , one t i e r u p f r o m t h e stalls. I t was a shock, seeing o n l y a s t r i k i n g oíd m a n i n a c u r i o u s pose, t h i n a n d l o n g h a i r c d , a q u i l i n e at 80, h e a d t i l t e d strangely t o one side, lost i n p e r m a n e n t a b s t r a c t i o n . . . . A f t e r t h r e e y o u n g e r poets o n stage, he was seheduled to r e a d f r o m his b o x , a n d t h e r e he sat w i t h an oíd f r i e n d ( w h o h e l d his p a p e r s ) w a i t i n g . H e r e g a r d e d t h e k n u c k l e s of his hands, m o v i n g t h e m a v e r y l i t t l e , expressionless. O n l y once, w h e n everyone else i n t h e f i i l l t h e a t r e a p p l a t u l e d someone o n stage, d i d he rouse h i m self to c l a p , w i t h o u t l o o k i n g u p , as i f s t i m u l a t e d b y s o u n d i n a

f o r m y self t i e d t o m y feet f a l l s o u t of t h e p l a ñ e h e a d ñrst ahead of m y fate Toe toe t h e shadows i n t h e gardens of P é r e Lachaise

v o i d . . . . A f t e r almost an h o u r , his t u r n came. O r a f t e r a l i f e . . . .

d r a w over A p o U i n a i r e ' s t o m h e a u Toe toe t h e flowers o f t h e g a r d e n are f a d e d loóse leaves & aeroplanes b l o w away Toe toe a n o t h e r s t r o k e o f t h e f e a t h e r

and could not. His olil friend d i d not t r y to help h i m . F i n a l l y

a n o t h e r l i n e i n a face a w o m a n w i t h d r a w s a m a n goes off w i t h his shadow withdrawn into himself Toe toe they both t u r n too late! too late!

E v e r y o n e i n t h e h a l l rose, t u r n e d a n d l o o k e d back a n d u p at P o i m d i n his b o o t h , u p p l a u d i n g . T h e applause was p r o l o n g e d a n d P o u n d t r i e d t o rise f r o m his a r m c h a i r . A m i c r o p h o n e was p a r t l y i n t h e w a y . H e grasped t h e arms o f t h e c h a i r w i t h h i s b o n e y h a n d s a n d t r i e d to rise. H e c o u l d n o t a n d he t r i e d a g a i n she p u t a p o e m i n his h a n d , a n d a f t e r at least a m i n u t e h i s voice carne o u t . F i r s t the j a w m o v e d a n d t h e n t h e voice came o u t , i n a u d i b l e . A y o i m g I t u l i a n p u l l e d t h e m i k e u p v e r y cióse to his face a n d h e l d i t i h e r e and t h e voice came over, f r a i l b u t s t u b b o r n , h i g h e r t h a n 1 h a d expected, a t h i n , soft m o n o t o n e . T h e h a l l h a d gone silent at a stroke. T h e voice k n o c k e d m e d o w n , so soft, so t h i n , so f r a i l , so s t u b b o r n s t i l l . I p u t m y h e a d o n m v arms o n t h e velvet s i l l of t h e box. I was s u r p r i s e d to see a single tear d r o p on m y knee. T h e t h i n , i n d o m i t a b l e voice w e n t o n . I w e n t b l i n d f r o m t h e b o x , t h r o u g h t h e back d o o r o f i t , i n t o t h e e m p t v c o r r i d o r of the t h e a t r e w h e r e t h e y s t i l l sat

116

117

!• •••• '

t u r n e d t o h i m , w e n t d o w n a n d o u t , i n t o t h e s u n h g h t , weep-

T H E

T R A N S S I B E R I A N

ing U p ahove t h e t o w n

b y t h e ancient a q u e d u c t i ' ' : i t h e chestnut trees ' i were s t i l l i n b l o o m '! :> : ' Mute birds r' ^ ••• • • ' • flew i n t h e v a l l e y

• ''••••>

, '

far below I ' I

;

T h e s u n shone : ' o n t h e chestnut trees

. í I "I'll

a n d t h e leaves

' ' t u r n e d i n the sun

• '

;

and t u r n e d a n d t u r n e d a n d t u r n e d

A n d w o i d d continué t u r n i n g

'! '

H i s voice ;i'

went on •

• ,1 .ii',.)/,

•• ;

•

, i '.

a n d on

I , . ' • . s ' . j , - ;

t h r o u g h t h e leaves.

K(.nock. knock on wooden Russia! I a m a w h i t e b i r d d r i l l i n g boles i n t h e w h i t e w o o d o f y o u r snow. •,. T o the w h i t e birches . t h a t s t r e t c h across Siberia . • '7.,, f r o m Vladivostok to Blok ' : I give one m o r e k n o c k . W h o w i l l answer t h i s t i m e ? A r e y o u s t i l l t h e r e , poet. A r e y o u s t i l l t h e r e , b r o t h e r , anarchist, A r e you still there, under the plow? These are n o t Chekhov's c h e r i s h e d c h e r r y t h a t f e l l d o w n l o n g ago. T h i s is t h e e t e r n a l íaiga n o w t h a t s t i l l stands u p against a l l w i n d s d a r k sears u p o n t h e b a r k .

'; Knock! Knock! Let the r a i l s p l i t t e r t r i i l y awake.

118

R E C I P E

F O R

K H A B A R O V S Y

One

H A P P I N E S S O R

A N Y P L A C E

g r a n d b o u l e v a r d w i t h trees

w i t h one g r a n d eafé i n s u n w i t h s t r o n g b l a c k coffee i n v e r y s m a l l cups O n e n o t necessarily v e r y b e a u t i f u l m a n o r w o m a n w h o loves y o u One fine day

S A L U T E

X o every a n i m a l w h o eats o r shoots his owQ_.kÍud-_._ A n d every h u n t e r w i t l i ríHes m o u n t e d i n p i c k u p t r u c k s A n d every prívate m a r k s m a n o r m i n u t e m a n ^ w i t h telescopic sight A n d every r e d n e c k ín boots w i t h dogs & sawed-off shotguns A n d every Peace Officer w i t h dogs t r a i n e d to t r a c k & J k i l l , ^ A n d every p l a i n c l o t h e s n i a n or i n i d e r c o v e r agent w i t h s h o u l d e r h o l s t e r f u l l of d e a t h ^^'C A n d every servant of t h e people g u n n i n g d o w n people or shootíng-to-kíll fleeing^felons A n d every G u a r d i a C i v i l i n any c < u n i t ^ y ( ^ l a r d i n ^ c ^ ^ w i t h handcuflt^o^earbines '' A n d every b o r d e r g u a r d at n o m a t t e r w h a t Check P o i n t C h a r l e y o n n o m a t t e r w h i c h side of w h i c h B e r l í n W a l l B a m b o o or T o r t i l l a c u r t a i n

; ,/

A n d every í e l i t e ) s t a t e t r o o p e r h i g h w a y p a t r o l m a n i n custom* t & i l o r e d riflingpants'/S plástic crash h e l m e t ^ s h o e s t r i n g necktie[^ sixshooter i n silverstudded holster ^ A . t\ A n d every p r o w i c a r w i t h r Í 0 t g u n s 4 ^ r e n s a n d every r i o t - t a n J f r - C ^ w i t h niaceí& leargas A n d every crackpÜot wíth r o c k e t s f & j n a p a l m u n d e r w i n g A n d every s k y p i l o t blesh^ngjyuubers át l a k e o f f —^—— f'V^Tid~aKy~HíateDepartment o f any snperstate s e l l i n g guns T í T b o t h sides A n d every N a t i o n a l i s t o f n o m a t t e r w h a t N a t i o n i n n o m a t t e r w h a t w o r h l B l a c k B r o w n or W h i l e w h o kílls f o r h i s N a t i o n

120

121

A n d every p r o p h e t or poet w i t h g u n o r shiv a n d any e n f o r c e r o f s p i r i t u a l e n l i g h t e n m e n t ^ w i t h foree a n d any e n f o r c e F í í r t K e p o w e r of a n y state w i t h P o w e r _ A n d t o any a n d a l l w h o k i l l & k i l l & k i l l & k i l l f o r Peaee I raise m y m i d d l e

finger^

i n t h e o n l y p r o p e r salute

Santa Rita

Prison,

1968

T H I R D

W O R L D

C A L L I N G !• i :

••••••!'

Xhis loud m o r n i n g i . I,"'!.':' ', |> ,1 sensed a s m a l l ery i n :•:{ . ' . . i ' . ! ; „ , . t h e news ' • i • ' ,,. paper |, c a u g h t somewhere o n ' .•,'•)' ..' a n i n n e r page : ^ - v . . . ' ;v • . . ' i •• •• 1 • I > decide to t r a v e l f o r l u n c h & '! i I , : ' e n d u p i n an a u t o m a l \ W h i t e House C a f e t e r í a I looking thru a little window : I I p u t a n i c k l e i n t h e slot I • (t • i " ; , ' ' a n d o u t comes •••¡.','.V;' • \; 't • ! • '' • /f r i e d rice Taking a tour i of t h e rest of t h a t h i i i l d i n g .'V'V'J, 1 h e a r a s m a l l ery • ' ^ , b e y o n d t h e r i c e paddies . •• 1.'.' ' between floors whére ' ' ' ' •' t h e escalator sticks I i; a n d r e m e m b e r last n i g h t ' s d r e a m o f ' • attending my own funeral at a d r i v e - i n m o r t u a r y ' ):',.'.'. n o t r e a l l y b e l i e v i n g • I wus t h a t dead Someone t h r o w i n g rice A l l the windows d r y T i p p e d t h e coffin o p e n & l a u g h e d into it -

a n d o u t falls oíd f u n n y f a c e mvseif

the bargain tragedian w i t h a s m a l l ery f o l l o w e d b y s o u n d o f Che Guevara s i n g i n g i n t h e voice o f F i d e l F a r over t h e P e r f u m e R i v e r t h e clouds pass c a r r y i n g s m a l l eries T h e m o n s o o n has set i n t h e w i n d o w s weep

B A S E B A L L

C A N T O

W a t c l l i n g baseball s i t t i n g i n t h e sun eating popcorn reading Ezra Pound and wishing Juan M a r i c h a l w o u l d h i t a hole right t h r o u g h the Anglo-Saxon t r a d i t i o n i n t h e F i r s t Canto and demolish the h a r b a r i a n invaders

I I- ' '

back u p t o the Pentagon o n a flathed t r u c k

i' *-.

field

a n d e v e r y b o d y stands u p t o t h e N a t i o n a l A n t h e m

a n d u n l o a d t h e s m a l l b r o w n bodies fresh f r o m the blasted

W h e n t h e San Francisco G i a n t s take t h e

fields!

w i t h some I r i s h tenor's voice p i p e d over t h e loudspeakers w i t h a l l t h e players s t r u c k d e a d i n t h e i r places a n d t h e w h i t e u m p i r e s l i k e I r i s h eops i n t h e i r b l a c k suits a n d l i t t l e b l a e k caps pressed over t h e i r hearts

^ '

standing straight and still l i k e at some f u n e r a l o f a b l a r n e y b a r t e n d e r a n d a l l f a c i n g East as i f e x p e c t i n g some G r e a t W h i t e H o p e or the F o u n d i n g Fathers to appear o n t h e h o r i z o n l i k e 1066 or 1776 or a l l t h a t B u t W i l l i e M a y s appears i n s t e a d i n t h e b o t t o m of t h e

first

a n d a r o a r goes u p as he clouts t h e first one i n t o t h e sun a n d takes off l i k e a f o o t r u n n e r f r o m Thebes

125

T h e b a l l is lost i n t h e sun a n d niaidens w a i l u f l e r h i m h n t he keeps r i m n i n g t h r o u g h the Anglo-Saxon epie A n d T i t o Fuentes eomes u p looking like a bullfighter i n his t i g h t pants a n d s m a l l p o i n t e d shoes A n d the r i g h t f i e l d bleachers go m a d w i t h chicanos & hlacks & B r o o k l y n h e e r d r i n k e r s "Sweet T i t o ! Sock i t to h e e m , Sweet T i t o ! " A n d Sweet T i t o pnts his f o o t i n the b n c k e t a n d smacks one that d o n ' t come h a c k at a l l a n d flees a r o u n d the bases l i k e he's escaping f r o m the U n i t e d F r u i t C o m p a n y as the g r i n g o d o l l a r beats out the P o i m d a n d Sweet T i t o heats i t o u t l i k e he's b e a t i n g o u t u s u r y n o t to m e n t i o n fascism a n d a n t i - s e m i t i s m A n d J u a n M a r i c h a l comes u p

a n d the c h i c a n o bleachers go loco again

, "

as J u a n helts the fĂrst fast b a l l o u t o f sight

and r o u n d s first a n d keeps going a n d r o u n d s second a n d r o u n d s t h i r d

f;:

a n d keeps g o i n g

' i,

and hits pay-dirt

;

t o the roars of the g r i n i g v populace As some n u t presses the hackstage panic b u t t o n f o r the lape-recorded N a t i o n a l A n t h e m again to save the s i t u a t i o n

126

â&#x20AC;˘ '

b u t i t d o n ' t stop n o b o d y t h i s t i m e i n t h e i r r e v o l u t i o n r o u n d the loaded w h i t e b i n t h i s last o f the great A n g l o - S a x o n epics i n the Territorio Libre of baseball

L A U G H I N G

C R Y I N G

I l a u g h a n d ery

I l a u g h t o h e a r m e say w h a t I a m s a y i n g W a l k i n g i n m y cave o f flesh T h e r e m u s t be a place T h e r e m u s t be a place

w i t h mask o f tears a n d l a u g h i n g face I l a u g h a n d ery t o h e a r m e say w h a t I a m saying M y l a u g h i n g face a n d mask of tears

W h e r e a l l is l i g h t makes m e l a u g h a n d ery t o h e a r me sing w h a t I a m saying I l a u g h to hear me say w h a t I a m saying F o r t h e r e n u i s l be a place O Rama m u s t be a place Audiart O Audiart w h e r e a l l is l i g h t d a n c i n g Shiva dear o n e Y o u r face flies t h r o u g h t h e sky 1 l a u g h t o say w h a t I a m saying E a c h of us a l a m p a spirit-lamp a luntern burning a l a m p a place b e y o n d a t u r n i n g w h e r e a l l is l i g h t

128

129

N I G H T

L I G H T from

Who Are We Now 1976

ght, night Death's t r u e self, Death's second self B l a c k is n i y t r u e love's h a i r Y e t a l l , a l l is d e s p a i r Black night, black light Death's t r u e self B l a c k , b l a e k , b l a c k is n i y t r u e love's h a i r A n d a l l , a l l is d e s p a i r •

i', • • • •,

Night, night Death's second self w h e r e a l l is e m p t y , a l l is despair I, A l l gone, a l l d o w n A l l , a l l despair A n d grey is m y t r u e love's h a i r Y e t sun bursts f o r t h u p o n t h e l a n d A n d a butterfly lights i n i t upon my hand A n d l i g h t s these songs a n d l i g h t s these songs i n air

130

D I R E C T O R

O F

A L I E N A T I O N

i j o o k i n g i n t h e m i r r o r s at Macy's and t h i n k i n g it's a subterranean plot to make me feel l i k e C h a p l i n snuek i n w i t h his b e n t shoes & b e a t b o w l e r l o o k i n g f o r a f a i r - h a i r e d ángel Who's this burn c r e p t i n o f f t h e streets h l i n k i n g i n the neón a n anarchist among the

í floorwaikers

a strike-breaker even r i g h t past t h e p i c k e t a > a n d t h e p i c k e t l i n e is t h e People y e t ? I t h i n k n i book a new derby w i t h my cañe and p u t a sign on i t reading Director of AJienation or T h e Real R e v o l u t i o n So it's M i s t e r A l i e u a t i o n is i t like he don't like nobody? I t ' s n o t m e I t ' s T h e m o u t o f step I came i n l o o k i n g f o r a n ángel male or female d a r k or f a i r b u t w h y does everyone l o o k so serious o r u n h a p p y l i k e as i f everyone's a l i e n a t e d f r o m s o m e t h i n g o r someone f r o m t h e w h o l e e a r t h even and t h e green l a n d among ihe loud indignant birds M y l a n d is y o u r l a n d b u t ' a l l is c h a n g e d , changed u t t e r l y '

L o o k at t h i s a l i e n face i n t h i s elevator m i r r o r T h e Tele-teetor scans m e H e looks p a r a n o i d B e t t e r get h i m o u t

a n d freeze i n one of t h e wigs w h e n the K e y s t o n e Cops come r u n n i n g I came i n l o o k i n g f o r a n ángel >••. passion eyes a n d l o n g i n g h a i r

h e f o r e he starts t r y i n g o n t h e u n d e r w e a r

i n m i r r o r s made of water B u t what's this wrack of c i v i l i z a t i o n

K e e p y o u r filthy m i t t s offa I b e t t e r s t i c k t o the escalators T o o m a n y n y l o n ladies i n t h e l i f t s I came i n l o o k i n g f o r a n ángel

IVe fallen into T h i s m u s t be t i i e e n d o f s o m e t h i n g t h e last days of somebody's e m p i r e Seven floors o f i t

too m a n y t w o - w a y m i r r o r s a m o n g the a l i e n c o r n

f r o m W o m e n ' s W e a r to Men's F u r n i s h i n g s

I m i g h t get c a u g h t

Lost souls descending t h r u

fingering the lingerie

Dante's seven eircles

f e e l i n g u p the m a n i k i n s

Ladies l i k e bees avarieious

House dicks a f t e r m e

clustered at counters

W h e r e ' s y o u r c r e d i t cards " T l i e y ' l l find the hole i n m y sock

Always the Outsider

i n the Shoe D e p a r t m e n t T h e f u U - l e n g t h m i r r o r s a l l designed to make you look y o u r worst so y o u ' l l get r e a l depressed a n d t h r o w off y o u r oíd clothes

I d o n ' t w a n t to j o i n t h e m e i t h e r What a drag W h y d o n ' t y o u get w i t h i t It's your eountry W h a t a cliché this Outsider a real bore

a n d b u y n e w duds o n the spot

B u t is t h e r e a n y o n e l e f t i n s i d e

W e l l I ' l l take t h e m at t h e i r w o r d

i n t h i s year o f the b o r i n g B i c e n t e n n i a l

T h e y asked f o r i t

Indians alienated Artists alienated

O f f w i l h these g r i m g y threads

A l l these poets a l i e n a t e d Parents husbands wives a l i e n a t e d

a n d slide d o w n t h e escalators bare-asa S l i p b e t w e e n the on-sale sheets i n t o the on-sale b e d

K i d s alienated Even billionaires alienated

f e e l i n g f o r a n ángel i n i t

h i d i n g o u t i n f o r e i g n countries

T r y t h i s n e w flush t o i l e t

D o n ' t let t h e m t e l l y o u d i f f e r e n t

a n d the p o r t a b l e s h o w e r

w i t h t h e i r flags and t h e i r grants

e m e r g i n g f r o m t h e b a t h i n s o m e t h i n g sexy

So B u y B u y B u y

i n t o a store w i n d o w

a n d get I n s i d e

a m o n g the C o q u e t t e W i g s b y Eva G a b o r

Get a l o a d a t h i s j u n k

Y o u wanna belong Y o u gotta have i t Pulí yourself together a n d descend t o Macy's basement A n d eat y o u r w a y u p t l i r u t h e seven stages o f t h i s classless society

W I L D ' ', ' '

w i t h t h e C r e d i t D e p a r t m e n t o n t h e t o p floor w h e r e s u r e l y some r e v e l a t i o n is at h a n d Consume y o u r w a y u p u n t i l you're consumed by i t at the very t o p ' ' w h e r e s u r e l y a t e r r i b l e b e a u t y is b o r n T h e n j u m p off the r o o f o d a r k of h a i r

o R u t h among the alien corn w a v i n g plástic j e w e l s a n d genitals

' '

- ; í

D R E A M S

O F

N E W

B E G I N N I N G

T X here's a breathless h u s h o n t h e f r e e w a y t o n i g h t , B e y o n d t h e ledges o f concrete restaurant» f a l l i n t o dreams i w i t h c a n d l e l i g h t couples ' Lost A l e x a n d r i a still burns in a billion lightbulbs Lives cross lives i d l i n g at s t o p l i g h t s B e y o n d t h e eloverleaf t u r n o f f s 'Souls eat souls i n t h e general emptiness' A |>iano c o n c e r t ó comes out a k i t c h e n w i n d o w A y o g i speaks at O j a l Tt's a l l t a k i n g place i n one m i n d ' i O n t h e l a w n a m o n g t h e trees lovers are l i s t e n i n g f o r t h e master t o t e l l t h e m t h e y are one w i t h the universe Eyes s m e l l flowers a n d become t h e m T h e r e ' s a deathless h u s h on the freeway tonight as a Pacifíc t i d a l wave a m i l e h i g h sweeps i n Los Angeles hreathes its last gas a n d sinks i n t o t h e sea l i k e t h e Titanic all lights l i t N i n e m i n u t e s l a t e r W i l l a Cather's N e b r a s k a sinks w i t h i t T h e seas eome i n over U t a h M o r m o n tabernacles washed away l i k e barnacles Coyotes are c o n f o u n d e d & s w i m n o w h e r e A n orchestra onstage i n O m a h a keeps o n p l a y i n g H a n d e l ' s Water H o r n s fill w i t h w a t e r

Music

a n d bass p l a y e r s float away o n t h e i r i n s t r u m e n t a e h i t e h i n g t h e m hlíc lovers h o r i z o n t a l Chicago's L o o p becomes a r o l l e r e o a s t e r Sky scrapei's i i l l e t l l i k e w a t e r glasses Great Lakes m i x e d w i t h B u d d h i s t b r i n e Great Books w a t e r e d d o w n i n K v a n s t o n M i l w a u k e e beer t o p p e d w i t h sea f o a m B e a u F l e u v e o f BuiTalo s u d d e n l y beeome salt M a n h a t t a n I s l a n d swept clean i n sixteen seconds b u r i e d masts o f N e w A m s t e r d a m arise

L O S T

P A R E N T S

takes a fast car

to l e a d a d o u h l e l i f e i n these days of short-distance l o v e affairs w h e n he has f a r - o u t lovers i n t h r e e d i f f e r e n t locations a n d a date w i t h each one

as t h e great wave sweeps o n E a s t w a r d

at least t w i c e a w e e k a l i t t l e s i m p l e a r i t h m e t i c shows

l o wash away over-agc C a m e m b e r t E u r o p e M a n n a h a t l a s t e a m i n g i n sea-vines

w h a t a w o r k o u t he's engaged i n Crossing & recrossing the c i t y

t h e washed l a n d awakes again to wilderness t h e o n l y sound a vast t h r u m m i n g o f c r i c k e t s a ery o f seabirds h i g h over i n empty eternity as t h e H u d s o n retakes its t h i c k e t s a n d i n d i a n s r e c l a i m t h e i r eanoes

f r o m b e d r o o m to p a t i o t o s w i m m i n g p o o l the ignition key hot a n d t h e backseat a j u m b l e o f clothes f o r d i f f e r e n t life-styles a surfboard on the roof a n d a copy o f K a h l i l G i b r a n o r R o d M c K u e n under the dashboard n e x t to t h e I n d i a n music casettes packs of T a r o t a n d the Í-Ching c r a m m e d i n t o t h e glove c o m p a r t m e n t along w i t h oíd traffic tickets and h a r d p a e k s of K e n t s dents a l t e s t i n g l o t h e passion of bis last l o v e r A n d his a n s w e r i n g service catching h i m on the freeway between t w o calis or t w o encounter groups and t h e u r g e n t message l e f t w i t h an u n l i s t e d n u m b e r l o c a l i C a r o l about t h e b o t t l e of fine w i n e he f o r g o t to p i c k u p a n d d e l i v e r to t h e g a l l e r y f o r t h e r e c e p t i o n at n i n e

138

139

W h i l e she shuttles t o h e r gynecologist a n d w i l l meet h i m l a t e r between t w o o t h e r n u m b e r s m a l e or f e m a l e i n e l u d i n g his w i f e w h o also ealled t w i c e w a n t i n g to k n o w w h e r e he's been and w h a t he's done

P E O P L E

G E T T I N G

D I V O R C E D

l e o p l e getting divoreed r i d i n g a r o u n d w i t h t h e i r clothes i n t h e car and wondering what happened to everyone a n d e v e r y t h i n g ineluding their other

with their throw-away children who l e f t t o t h e i r o w n devices A ' i n a beaeh house at M a l i b u grew u p and d r o p p e d out into N o t h i n g i n a J u n g i a n search I

f o r lost p a r e n t s t h e i r o w n age

•.

••••.li;--':Í;.V, |! :,,(.

p a i r o f shoes A n d i f y o u spy one then w h o knows what happened to the other w i t h t o n g u e alack a n d years l a t e r n o t even k n o w i n g i f t h e o t h e r ever f o u n d a mate w i t h o u t s p l i t t i n g t h e seams or remained intact unlaced a n d t h e solé ah t h e soul a curious conception h a n g i n g o n somehow to w a l k a g a i n i n the free air once t h e h e e l has been r e p l a c e d

140

141

S H O R T

S T O R Y

G U S T A V

P A I N T I N G

A n d his g o l d

O F

h a r l e q n i n robe eheekered w i t h d a r k squares G o l d garlands stream d o w n o v e r

K L I M T

T hey are k n e e H n g u p r i g h t o u a ñ o w e r e d h e d He

h e r b a r e calves & tensed feet

has j u s t caught h e r t h e r e and holds her s t i l l

N e a r b y t h e r e m u s t be a j e w e l e d tree

Her gown has s l i p p e d d o w n

w i t h glass leaves a g l i t t e r i n the gold air

off h e r s h o u l d e r H e has a n u r g e n t h u n g e r

I t m u s t he

H i s d a r k head

morning

bends to hers

i n a f a r a w a y place s o m e w h e r e

hungrily

They

A n d the w o m a n tlie w o m a n

are s i l e n t t o g e t l i e r

t u r n s l i e r t a n g e r i n e l i p s f r o m his

as i n a flowered u p o n t h e s u m m e r couch

one h a n d l i k e the head o f a dead swan d r a p e d d o w n over h i s heavy n e c k the

fingers

w h i c h m u s t be hers A n d he h o l d s h e r s t i l l so passionately h o l d s h e r head to his

strangely c r i m p e d t i g h t l y together

so g e n t l y so i n s i s t e n t l y to m a k e h e r t u r n

her other a r m douhled up against h e r t i g h t breast her hand a l a n g u i d claw e l u t c h i n g his h a n d w h i c h w o u l d t u r n her m o u t h t o bis h e r l o n g dress m a d e of m u l t i e o l o r e d blossoms quilted on gold her T i t i a n h a i r w i t h b l u e stars i n i t

142

fíeld

h e r l i p s t o his H e r eyes are closed l i k e f o l d e d petáis She w i l l not open . He

is n o t t h e One

»'

A L I E N A T I O N :

T W O

as i f to h i s c o m r a d e o r l o v e r who crawled a quarter-inch toward h i m and t h e n hunehed u p into a very small f u r r y ball a n d was s t i l l

B E E S

carne u p o n t h e m i n t h e c a b i n — t h e a n g r y one at t h e w i n d o w

and w o u l d n o t m o v e again

a n d t h e oíd b e n t one o n t h e b e d As a l l at once o u t s i d e

t h e one at t l i e w i n d o w b u z z i n g & b u z z i n g ' !• I

the hive h u m m e d louder

b e a t i n g it8 w i n g s o n t h e w i n d o w

w i t h a m i l l i o n m i l d conformists

beating the pane

w i t h w i l d antennas b e n t

t h e one o n t h e b e d t h e s i l e n t one w i t h t h e b e n t f r a m e

N o t one flew o u t to w a k e t h e dead

alone o n t h e e o u n t e r p a n e I didn't mean to k i l l t h e m

N o measenger was sent

b u t t h e one i n t h e w i n d o w w o u l d n ' t be w a v e d b a c k to his h i v e T h e d o o r was o p e n a n d h e k n e w i t a n d flew i n i t f o r a m o m e n t !;

. .,

a n d t h e n flew b a c k

íi;' j

away f r o m bis c o m m u n i t y

Something had alienated h i m a n d h e w o u l d n o t go b a c k i

o r was i t p e r h a p s ¡

t h e w o u n d e d one o n t h e b e d who kept h i m

I t r i e d t o get h i m t o f a s t e n o n t o , I

a c r u m p l e d page

of t h e l o c a l news b u t he w o u l d n o t A n d I m u s t have h u r t h i m d o i n g t h a t

v •

for he f e l l on the bed a n d d i e d i n an i n s t a n t s t r e t c h i n g o u t his legs o r arms

144

O L B E R S '

P A R A D O X

U P O N

A - n d I heard the learned astronomer whose ñ a m e was H e i n r i c h O l b e r s s p e a k i n g to us across t l i e centuries

R E F L E C T I O N

. V i g h t ' s b l a c k m i r r o r is b r o k e n t h e star c r a b has s c u t t l e d a w a y

a b o u t h o w he observed w i t h n a k e d eye h o w i n t h e sky t h e r e were

w i t h the i n k w e l l

some f e w stars cióse u p a n d t h e f u r t h e r away he l o o k e d

into India

the m o r e of t h e m t i i e r e w e r e w i t h i n f i n i t e n u n i b e r s of clusters of stars

Dawn sows i t s m u s t a r d seed

i n m y r i a d M i l k y Ways & m y r i a d nebulae So t h a t f r o m t h i s w e m a y deduce t h a t i n t h e i n f i n i t e distances t h e r e m u s t be a place t h e r e must be a place w l i e r e a l l is l i g h t and t h a t t h e l i g h t f r o m t h a t h i g h place w h e r e a l l is l i g h t s i m p l y hasn't got here y e t

I n t h e steep ravines a n d gulches of B i g Sur small animáis stir under the tough underbrush as sun creeps d o w n t h e c a n y o n w a l l s

w h i c h is w h y we s t i l l have n i g h t B u l w h e n at last t l i a t Hght a r r i v e s w h e n at last i t does get here

i n t o t h e n a r r o w meadows where the w i l d quail

t h e p a r t of day w e n o w c a l i N i g h t w i l l have a w l i i t e sky w i t h l i t t l e b l a c k dots i n i t l i t t l e b l a c k holes w l i e r e once were stars

r u n & cluck Daytime moon a f t e r m u c h r e f l e c t i o n says

A n d then i n that symbolic so p o e t i c place w h i c h w i l l be ours w e ' l l be o u r o w n t r u e shadows and our o w n i l l u m i n a t i o n o n a sunset e a r t h 146

S u n is G o d A n d the stream standing still ruahes f o r w a r d

D E E P

C H E S S

'S^'Í

•

•• ^y--

L i f e itself l i k e c h a m p i o n s h i p chess d a r k players j o u s t i n g o n a c l i e c k e r e d field

where y o u have only so m u c h t i m e ; , ¡ to c o m p l e t e y o u r moves

Y o u r move

and i f y o u take i ', .i > ! ; , too m u c h t i m e for one m o v e y o u have t h a t m u c h less f o r t h e rest : of y o u r l i f e • ^ ¡ i>, , , '

( w h i c h m a y o r m a y n o t be ' l i f e itself) b u g g i n g y o u w i t h his deep eyes o r ohscenely w i g g l i n g his crazy eyebrows o r b l o w i n g snioke i n y o u r face

: '.[ • '

• . , ,

o r crossing a n d recrossing his legs o r h e r legs or otherwise screwing around a n d a c t i n g l i k e some i n s o l e n t i n v u l n e r a b l e u n b e a t a b l e god w h o can r e a d y o u r m i n d & h e a r t A n d one hasty m o v e may r u i n you . •• ' for you must play deep chess ( l i k e t h e one deep game Spassky w o n f r o m F i s h e r ) 148

a new Nabokov variation A n d t h e n l a y H i m o u t at last w i t h some super end-game

A n d there's s t i l l t i m e —

all the time

dark or f a i r

was n o t too b r i U i a n t you must play to w i n not draw a n d s u d d e n l y come uj) w i t h

n o one has ever even d r e a m e d of

A n d y o u r clocfc r u n n i n g

A n d your opponent

A n d i f your unstudied opening

M E E T I N G

O F

E Y E S

M E X I C O answer y o u D a r k eyes

Ouddenly y o u are s p e a k i n g t o m e over t h e audience as I speak m y p o e m to i t M y eyes e n c o u n t e r y o u r s

speak t o y o u over t h e i r heads D a r k one ' T h e r e is n o n e

—

like you

over t h e c r o w d

a m o n g t h e dancers'

Just a p a i r of eyes o u t t h e r e i n a f a r f o t o o f faces

T e amo

distant lamps i n a d a r k landscape flickering A n d t h e eyes speak— i n whatever tongue—

T h e p o e m ends T h e eyes go o n burning A n d t h e r e is applause o u t t h e r e as o n a d a r k sea

I hear i t d i s t a n t l y as i n a sea s h e l l — shreds of s u n l i g h t b l o w n — A s l a t e r y o u r voice comes t h r o u g h — i n whatever tongue— an impassioned questioning of m y poem— I answer b a c k over t h e heads of t h e audience

T H E

O n

G E N E R A L

S O N G

O F

B u t w h e n t l i e y stole a w a y w i t h N e r u d a ' s o w n letters o u t o f his m a i l b o x at I s l a N e g r a t h e y were i n fact stealing b a c k their o w n Canto General w h i c h he h a d o r i g i n a l l y g a t h e r e d

H U M A N I T Y

t h e eoast of C h i l e w h e r e N e r u d a l i v e d it's w e l l k n o w n t h a t ; seabirds o f t e n steal

letters o u t o f m a i l b o x e s w h i c h t h e y w o u l d l i k e t o sean f o r v a r i o u s reasons S h a l l I e n u m é r a t e t h e reasons? T h e y are q u i t e clear

from them w i t h t h e i r o m n i v e r o u s & ecstatic sweeping visión B u t n o w t h a t N e r u d a is dead n o m o r e such letters are w r i t t e n a n d t h e y m u s t p l a y i t h y ear a g a i n — t h e h i g h great song

even g i v e n t h e silence o f b i r d s o n t h e sub j e c t (except w h e n t h e y speak o f i t

i n t h e h e a r t o f o u r b l o o d & silence

a m o n g themselves b e t w e e n cries) Cuernavaca,

First of a l l t h e y steal t h e letters because t h e y sense t h a t t h e G e n e r a l Song o f t h e w o r d s of everyone h i d d e n i n these l e t t e r s m u s t c e r t a i n l y bear t h e keys t o t h e h e a r t i t s e l f of h u m a n i t y

w h i c h t h e b i r d s themselves have never b e e n able t o f a t h o m ( i n fact e n t e r t a i n i n g m u c h d o u b t t h a t t h e r e a c t u a l l y are hearts i n h u m a n s ) A n d t h e n these b i r d s have a f u r t h e r f e e l i n g ( , t h a t t h e i r o w n general song m i g h t s o m e h o w be e n r i c h e d b y these strange cries of h u m a n s f W h a t a w e i r d b i r d - b r a i n idea that our titterings might enlighten them)

152

October

26, '75

E I G H T P E O P L E AND O N E B I R D F L Y I N G O V E R

O N O F

A G O L F C O U R S E F R E E D O M

T X l i e p h o e n i x flies h i g h e r & h i g h e r ahove e i g h t elegant p e o p l e o n a g o l f eourse w h o have t h e i r heads s t u c k i n t h e sands of a b i g t r a p O n e m a n raises his h e a d a n d shouts I a m President of E a r t h . I rule. Y o u elected m e , h e h - h e h . F o r e ! .' A second m a n raises his h e a d . I a m K i n g o f t h e Car. T h e car is m y w e a p o n . 1 d r i v e a l l b e f o r e m e . Y e s h a l l have n o o t h e r gods. Watch out. I ' m coming through. A t h i r d raises his h e a d o u t o f t h e sand. I r u n a religi贸n. I am your s p i r i t u a l head. Never m i n d w h i c h religi贸n. I drive a long ball. Bow down and putt. A f o u r t h raises his h e a d i n t h e b u n k e r . I a m t h e G e n e r a l . I have t a n k s t o c o n q u e r deserts. A n d m y t a n k shall not want, I ' m thirsty. W e play RoUerball. I love Arabs. A f铆fth raises his h e a d a n d opens his m o u t h , 1 a m Y o u r Master's V o i c e , I r u l e n e w s p r i n t . I r u l e a irwa v e s , l o n g & s h o r t , W e b e n d minds. W e make reality to order, M i n d Fuek Incorporated. A s i x t h m a n raises his g o l d b a l d h e a d . I ' m your friendly multinational banker. I c h e w cigars r o l l e d w i t h p e t r o - d o l l a r s . W e ' r e above n a t i o n s . W e c o n t r o l t h e c o n t r o l . I ' l l eat y o u a l l i n t h e e n d . 154

1 w o r k on margins. Yours. A w o m a n raises h e r head h i g h e r t h a n anyone. I am the Little W o m a n . I ' m the Tender W a r r i o r w h o votes l i k e h e r h u s b a n d . W h o t o o k m y hreasts. A final figure rises, c a r r y i n g a l l t h e clubs. Stop o r I ' l l shoot a h o l e - i n - o n e . I ' m t h e C h i e f o f A l l P 贸 l i c e . I eat meat. W e k n o w the enemy, Y o u better believe i t , W e ' r e w a t c h i n g a l l y o u p a r a n o i d s . G o ahead & l a u g h . Y o u ' r e a l l i n t h e c o m p u t e r . W e ' v e got a l l y o u r n u m b e r s . E x c e p t one i m i d e n t i f i e d flying asshole. O n t h e r a d a r sereen. Some d u m b b i r d , E v e r y t i m e I shoot i t d o w n i t rises.

155

P O P U L I S T

W e have seen the hest m i n d s o f o u r g e n e r a t i o n destroyed b y b o r e d o n i at p o e t r y readings. P o e t r y i s n ' t a secret society, I t isn't a t e m p l e e i t h e r .

M A N I F E S T O

x o e t s , come o u t o f y o u r closets, Open y o u r w i n d o w s , open y o u r doors, Y o u have been h o l e d - u p t o o l o n g ,> i n y o u r closed w o r l d s . C o m e d o w n , come d o w n w i ' M : f r o m y o u r Russian HÜls and T e l e g r a p h H i l l s ,

• ,i

T i m e n o w t o face o u t w a r d

o u t o f y o u r tepees and domes.

i n the f u l l lotus position w i t h eyes w i d e o p e n .

, . ,

a n d w e ' l l to t h e woods n o m o r e .

': -sw

, '

T i m e now to open y o u r mouths w i t h a n e w o p e n speech,

N o time now for sitting i n them A s m a n b u r n s d o w n his o w n house

t i m e n o w t o c o m m u n i c a t e w i t h a l l sentient beings, A l l y o u *Poet8 of t h e C i t i e s '

to roast his p i g . N o more chanting Haré Krishna

h u n g i n museums, i n e l u d i n g m y s e l f ,

while Rome burns.

A l l y o u poet's poets w r i t i n g p o e t r y

San Francisco's b u r n i n g ,

about poetry, A l l y o u p o e t r y w o r k s h o p poets

M a y a k o v s k y ' s Moscow's b u r n i n g t h e fossil-fuels o f l i f e .

•

w h i c h is b a d f o r e a r t h & M a n .

d o w n f r o m y o u r f o o t h i l l s and m o u n t a i n s , T h e trees are s t i l l f a l l i n g

156

t h e t i m e f o r k e e n i n g come, time for keening & rejoicing over t h e c o m i n g e n d of i n d u s t r i a l c i v i l i z a t i o n '

y o u r Beacon H i l l s a n d y o u r C h a p e l H i l l s , y o u r M o u n t A n a l o g u e s a n d Montparnasses,

Secret w o r d s & chants w o n ' t d o any l o n g e r . T h e h o u r of o m i n g is over,

; '

¡ ' r • '

. " f

'•

i n t h e b o o n d o c k h e a r t of A m e r i c a ,

N i g h t & t h e H o r s e approaehes

A l l y o u l i o u s e - b r o k e n E z r a Pounds,

e a t i n g l i g h t , lieat & p o w e r ,

A l l y o u f a r - o u t f r e a k e d - o u t c u t - u p poets,

and t h e clouds have trousers.

A l l y o u pre-stressed Concrete poets,

N o t i m e now f o r the artist to h i d e

A l l y o u c u n n i l i n g u a l poets,

above, b e y o n d , b e h i n d t h e seenes,

A l l y o u p a y - t o i l e t poets g r o a n i n g w i t h grafRtti,

í n d i í f e r e n t , p a r i n g his

A l l y o u A - t r a i n swingers w h o never s w i n g o n b i r c h e s ,

fíngernaíls,

refíning h i m s e l f o u t o f existence.

A l l y o u masters o f t h e s a w m i l l h a i k u

N o t i m e n o w f o r o u r l i t t l e l i t e r a r y games, n o t i m e n o w f o r o u r paranoias & h y p o c h o n d r i a s ,

i n t h e Siberias o f A m e r i c a , A l l y o u eyeless u n r e a l i s t s ,

no t i m e now for fear & l o a t h i n g ,

A l l y o u s e l f - o c c u l t i n g supersurrealists,

time now only for l i g h t & love.

A l l y o u b e d r o o m visionaries a n d closet a g i t p r o p a g a t o r s ,

. "

•

A l l y o u G r o u c h o M a r x i s t poets a n d leisure-class C o m r a d e s w h o l i e a r o u n d a l l day and t a l k ahout the workingclass proletariat, A l l y o u C a t h o l i c anarchists o f p o e t r y , A l l y o u B l a c k M o u n t a i n e e r s of p o e t r y , A l l y o u B o s t o n B r a h m i n s and B o l i n a s b u c o l i c e , A l l y o u den mothers of poetry,

O f y o u r o w n sweet Self s t i l l s i n g yet u t t e r ' t h e w o r d en-masse'— Poetry the common carrier f o r t h e t r a n s p o r t a t i o n of t h e p u b l i e

A l l y o u s u i c i d e lovers o f p o e t r y ,

to h i g h e r places t h a n o t h e r wheels can c a r r y i t .

A I I y o u h a i r y professors of poesie,

P o e t r y s t i l l f a l l s f r o m t h e skies

A l l y o u p o e t r y reviewers

i n t o o u r streets s t i l l o p e n . T h e y haven't p u t u p the barricades, yet,

A l l y o u zen b r o t h e r s of p o e t r y ,

d r i n k i n g t h e b l o o d of t h e p o e t , W h e r e are W h i t m a n ' s w i l d c h i l d r e n ,

t h e streets s t i l l a l i v e w i t h faces, lovely men & women still w a l k i n g there,

w h e r e t h e great voices s p e a k i n g o u t

s t i l l l o v e l y creatures e v e r y w h e r e ,

w i t h a sense o f sweetness a n d s u b l i m i t y , w h e r e t h e great n e w visión,

i n t h e eyes o f a l l t h e secret of a l l

A l l y o u Poetry Pólice—

t h e great w o r l d - v i e w , t h e h i g h p r o p h e t i c song of the immense earth a n d a l l t h a t sings i n i t A n d o u r r e l a t i o n to i t — Poets, descend t o t h e street of t h e w o r l d once m o r e A n d o p e n y o u r m i n d s & eyes w i t h t h e oíd v i s u a l d e l i g h t , C l e a r y o u r t l i r o a t a n d speak u p , P o e t r y is d e a d , l o n g l i v e p o e t r y w i t h t e r r i b l e eyes a n d b u f f a l o s t r e n g t h . Don't wait f o r the Revolution or i t ' l l happen w i t h o u t y o u . Stop m u m b l i n g a n d speak o u t w i t h a new wide-open poetry w i t h a new commousensual ' p u b l i e surface' 158

w i t h o t h e r s u b j e c t i v e levéis o r o t h e r subversive levéis, a t u n i n g f o r k i n t h e i n n e r ear to s t r i k e b e l o w t h e surface.

still b u r i e d there, W h i t m a n ' s w i l d c h i l d r e n s t i l l sleeping t h e r e , A w a k e and w a l k i n the open air.

from

Northwest Ecolog 1978

V-, '.1 ^

T H E

O L D SAILORS

„^

O n the green r i v e r b a n k age late fifties 1 a m beginning to remind myself o f my great Unele Désir in the V i r g i n Islands O n a Saint T h o m a s baek beach he lived w h e n I last saw h i m i n a sm al l shack ,,,

;

under the palms

E i g h t y years oíd s t r a i g h t as a V i k i n g (where the D a n é s once landed) he stood l o o k i n g o u t over t h e flat sea blue eyes or grey w i t h t h e sea i n t h e m salt u p o n his lashes were always sea wanderers N o salt here n o w by t h e great r i v e r i n t h e h i g h desert range Oíd sailors stranded ; t h e steelhead |i I ;

t h e y t o o lost w i t h o u t i t leap u p a n d die

jL63

«te

WILD

LIFE

CAMEO,

EARLY

MORN

^ '^

B y t h e great r i v e r Deschutes o n t h e m e a d o w b a n k greenaward Bun j u s t h i t t i n g the h i g h bluffs stone ehffs sculpted high away across t h e r i v e r A t t h e f o o t o f a steep b r o w n slope a mile away six w h i t e - t a i l deer f o u r y o u n g bucks w i t h branehed antlers and t w o s m a l l does mute in eternity drinking the river t h e n i n real t i m e raising heads a n d c l i m b i n g u p a n d up a steep f a i n t switchback i n t o f u l l sun

as i n a r o u n d carneo T h e r e is a hollow bole i n a tree one looks i n t o One b y one t h e y d r i n k silence (the t w o does last) one b y one c l i m b up so c a l m over the r i m o f the c a n y o n a n d w i t h o u t l o o k i n g back disa])pear forever

164

T H E

APOLLINAIRE

ROGUE

Reading A p o l l i n a i r e here s i t t i n g crosslegged on sleepingbag & poncho i n the shadow o f a huge h i l l before t h e sun clears i t W o k e u p early o n t h e shore and heard the r i v e r shushing (like the sound a snake m i g h t m a k e slidingover riprap i f y o u m a g n i f i e d the sound) M v head s t i l l d o w n u p o n the g r o u n d one eye w i t h o u t perspective sees the stream sliding by t h r o u g h the sand as i n a desert landscape L i k e a huge green watersnake w i t h w h i t e water m a r k i n g s

and t h e r i v e r drops f r o m sight seems like a snake about to disappear d o w n a deep hole I n d i a n s made t h e i r m y t h s o f this great watersnake slid d o w n f r o m m o u n t a i n s far a w a y A n d I see the Roguc for real as the I n d i a n s saw h i m the Rogue a l l w i l d w h i t e w a t e r a cold-blouded creature d r o w n i n g and dousing the Rogue ruler o f the l a n d transforming i t at will w i t h a w i l l o f its o w n

i n m v life

RIVER

the r i v e r slithers b v and where the c a n y o n turns

I b r i n g t h e m ci贸se i n t h e binoculars

L i k e c e r t a i n people

READING

a creature t o be feared a n d respected p i l l a g i n g its w a y to the sea w i t h great g r a v i t y s l i l l r u l e d by that g r a v i t y w h i c h s t i l l rules a l l so t h a t we m i g h t almost say G r a v i t y is G o d

•

'•{' i , . ,, ; ,^ ^,,,

A l l o f w h i c h the s l i t h e r i n g Rogue knows n o t h i n g o f . i '

• ,i

HORSES

. , -.^^ , , ,

m a n i f e s t i n g H i m s e l f , , ;; as G r e a t G o d Sun w h o w i l l one day m a k e H i m s e l f ¡uto a b l a c k hole i n space w h o w i l l one day i m p l o d e H i m s e l f into Nothing

in its hcadlong

,^ ^

DAWN

T h e horses the horses the w i l d horses at d a w n ; ^^->^s i n a watercolor b y B e n Shahn ' ' t h e y are alive i n the h i g h meadow ^ i n the h i g h e o u n t r y o n the far^mesaV v" y o u can see t h e m galloping ^ — ^ , O you can see t h e m s n o r t i n g you can hear t h e i r t h u n d e r d i s t a n t l y y o u can hear the s m a l l t h u n d e r o f t h e i r small hooves Únsistently

• ') •

. ¡ ' , ;,'•..[

b l i n d rush t o the sea ; ,^ ,';, , vil ,, A n d t h o u g h its head ; ,,. , ^ , , ^ is already being eaten , , b y t h a t m o s t cruel and c h u r n i n g ,,, • monsterOcean i • , • i • i V. the t a i l o f the snake ' , ; , ,'. ,¡',^' knowsitnot v ,,;•!.•, and continúes t u r n i n g & t u r n i n g . i., ^ t o w a r d its final hole , <,. and t o w a r d t h a t final black hole i n t o w h i c h all somQ da\' w i l l be sucked b u r n i n g ;, • ,

i,,! v ,

i , ^

As i sit reading a F r e n c h p o e t '| whose most famous poem is a b o u t the r i v e r t h a t runs t h r o u g h the c i t y I , t a k i n g t i m e & life & lovers w i t h i t A n d none r e t u r n i n g ': . ! ; ^ none r e t u r n i n g

ttlu

'^''-/^í,•f^^ ^

I N T O

T H E

D E E P E R

P O O L S

I p u t o n t h e d i v i n g mask a n d w e n t d o w n / A f e w feet h e l o w t h e surface a f e w m i n n o w s r i r c l e d m e / A l i t t l e f u r t h e r d o w n a few s m a l l t r o u t no m o r e t h a n t h r e e inches / 1 l i e motionless j u s t b e l o w t h e surface a n d search t h e deepest p a r t o f t h e p o o l / T h e r e at t h e v e r y b o t t o m b e t w e e n b o u l d e r s / i n t h e v e r y deepest h o l e / 1 s u d d e n l y spy h i m / a h u g e f a t grey speckled t r o u t / perhaps e i g h t p o u n d s / p e r f e c t l y s t i l l against t h e grey roeks / H e w o u l d have b e e n i n v i s i b l e f r o m t h e surface / a n d i n v i s i b l e w i t h o u t t h e mask / T h e n s u d d e n l y I see a n o t h e r f a t speckled t r o u t / n o t q u i t e as b i g / q u i t e ci贸se t o t h e first / almost l i k e h i s shadow / o r h e r shadow / t h i s one t o o p e r f e c t l y motionless / as i f n o t even b r e a t h i n g / t h o u g h t h e s w i f t s t r e a m p o u r e d b y above i t / S u m m e r of t h e great d r o u g h t / and t h i s t h e o n l y deep p o o l l e f t / t h e stream i t s e l f s h r u n k to a w i d t l i of t w e n t y feet / T h e p o o l i s o l a t e d b y r a p i d s at each end / Last season t h e t w o fish m u s t have m a d e i t u p t h i s f a r / t h e n t h e stream s h r u n k s t i l l m o r e / a n d h e r e t h e y were caught / i n t h e s h r i n k i n g h o l e / w h e r e t h e y l a y m o t i o n less / w a i t i n g / t r a p p e d / t h e i r w o r l d s h r i n k i n g a n d s h r i n k i n g / S t i l l t h e y l i e at t h e b o t t o m / v e r y s t i l l / conserving w h a t t h e y ' v e got / F i s h e r m e n d o n ' t have d i v i n g m a s k s a n d never see t h e m d o w n t h e r e and pasa o n q u i c k l y / aa w e d i v e d o w n again & again / and see t h e fish i n t h e i r steady-state o f m e d i t a t i o n / a final yoga d i s c i p l i n e / w h i c h c o u l d go o n u n t i l t h e r e is n o w a t e r at a l l l e f t i n t h e stream / T h e n w e m i g h t find t h e m / s t i l l i n s w i m m i n g p o a i t i o n / fins e x t e n d e d / m o u t h s l i g h t i y oj)en / eyes h a l f closed / O r s t i l l l a t e r we m i g h t find t h e i r skeletons i n t a c t / i n t h e same p o s i t i o n s / b a k e d i n t h e firey sun / l i k e B u d d h i s t m o n k s b u r n e d a l i v e i n l o t u s p o s i tions / O r s t i l l m u c h l a t e r a n o t h e r age m i g h t discover / t w o fossil skeletons / i m p r i n t e d o n t h e b o u l d e r s / at t h e v e r y b o t t o m o f t h e c r y p t / as evidence o f some f o r m e r strange 168

f o r m / o f a t h i n g called L i f e / A n d i f w e stayed o n h e r e w i t h t h e m / w a i t i n g & w a i t i n g / t h a t l a t e r age / m i g h t also n o t b e able to i m a g i n e one b o y and his f a t h e r fishing / b y t h i s stream /' t h o u g h o u r t w o r o u n d s k u l l s be f o u n d / w i t h t h e fishes / Y e t seeing n o w t h e b e a u t y o f those fish / d o w n t h e r e b e l o w t h e surface / so s t i l l a n d l o v e l y / i n t h e i r deep d r e a m / d a p p l e d i n t h e i r last deep p o o l / W e fish n o l o n g e r / t u r n / a n d go o n / i n t o t h e deeper pools / o f o u r o w n l i v e s .

169

ROUGH

SONG

ANIMALS

erisscrossed w i t h switchbacks b e y o n d t h e marshes i, b e y o n d t h e plains & fences (the West w o n w i t h b a r b e d - w i r e machines) in the high eountry • ; : in the low eountry •• ,' ;,r ••. i'.'^i'; •;,.. , crisscrossed w i t h h i g h w a y s I n a dream w i t h i n a dream I dreamt a dream

DYING

I n a dream w i t h i n a dream I dreamt a dream o f the r e a l i t y o f existenee inside t h e u l t i m a t e c o m p u t e r

,,','

'¡

í ^ r

w h i c h is the universe J 'v, V''i',\.;''!'.'i':'\ii i n w h i c h the A r r o w of T i m e , ;i : > í;' j 'y^'i^. i,' flies b o t h ways ••• ':'•;> '(•'/•'•' v •:••)•.''•/ '••'ÍI t h r o u g h bent space I n a dream w i t h i n a dream I dreamt a dream of a l l t h e animáis d y i n g ^ ' ' all animal» everywhere ' ' ^ ' dying & dying ' ' t h e w i l d animáis t h e longhaired animáis winged animáis feathered animáis clawed & scaled & f u r r y animáis rutting & dying & dying T:' '

o f h o w t h e y feed & r u t & r u n & hide I n a d r e a m w i t h i n a d r e a m I saw how t h e seáis are beaten on the ice-fields

the soft w h i t e f u r r y seáis w i t h eggshell skulls t h e Great Green t u r t i e s beaten & eaten

exotic birds n e t t e d & caged & tethered K •, ^ ;¡i rare w i l d beasts & strange reptiles & w e i r d woozoos h u n t e d d o w n for zoos by bearded blackmarketeers who afterwards ride a r o u n d Singapore

I n a d r e a m w i t h i n a d r e a m I d r e a m t a dream o f creatures everywhere d y i n g o u t i n s h r i n k i n g rainforests ¡i' •• ,!

i n G e r m á n limousines I n a d r e a m w i t h i n a d r e a m I d r e a m t a dream o f the e a r t h beating u p & d r y i n g o u t

i n p i n e y woods & h i g h sierras | on s h r i n k i n g prairies & t u m b l e w e e d mesas c a p t u r e d beaten s t r a p p e d starved & stunned cornered & t r a d e d , species n o t m e a n t t o be nomadic '; w a n d e r i n g rootless as m a n I n a dream w i t h i n a dream I dreamt a dream o f a l l t h e animáis c r y i n g o u t i n t h e i r h i d d e n places > '< ; '. K;' i i; i n the s t i l l silent places l e f t to t h e m slinking away & crawling about

, ,'

;

t h r o u g h the last w i l d places t h r o u g h the dense u n d e r b r u s h t h e last Great T h i c k e t s beyond the mountains ^j-, ,' í

;

' '

' ,/ , ' ' ' • • ,

i * / ,

i n the famous Greenhouse Effect under its canopy o f carbón dioxide breathed o u t b v a b i l l i o n

infernal combustión engines m i x e d w i t h the sweet smell o f b u r n i n g flesh I n a dream w i t h i n a dream I dreamt a dream o f animáis c a l l i n g t o each other i n codes we never u n d e r s t a n d T h e seal and steer ery o u t i n the same voice

•

as t h e y are clubbed i n Chicago stockyards & N e w f o u n d l a n d snowfields I t is t h e same ery T h e wounds never heal

171

170

•••;r:í'W-'

•te

i n t h e c o m m o n w e a l o f animรกis W e steal t h e i r lives i t o feed our o w n a n d w i t h t h e i r lives our dreams are sown I n a dream w i t h i n a dream I dreamt a dream OI t h e d a i l y scrimmage for existence i n t h e w i n d - u p m o d e l o f t h e universe t h e s p i n n i n g meat-wheel w o r l d i n w h i c h I was a fish w h o eats his t a i l i n w h i c h I was a claw u p o n a beach i n w h i c h 1 was a snake u p o n a tree i n w h i c h T was a serpent's egg a y i n - y a n g y o l k o f good and e v i l a b o u t t o consume itself

172

f r o m .

Landscapes of L i v i n g & D y i n g 1979

T H E

O L D

I T A L I A N S

D Y I N G

years the oíd I t a l i a n s have been d y i n g a l l over A m e r i c a F o r years the oíd I t a l i a n a i n faded felt hats have been s u n n i n g themselves a n d d y i n g Y o u have seen t h e m o n the benehes i n the p a r k i n W a s h i n g t o n Square the oíd I t a l i a n s i n t h e i r blaek h i g h b u t t o n shoes the oíd m e n i n t h e i r oíd felt fedoras w i t h stalned hatbands have been d y i n g a n d d y i n g day b y day Y o u have seen t h e m •|

every d a y i n W a s h i n g t o n Square San P'rancisco • theslowbell tolls i n the m o r n i n g i n the C h u r e h of Peter & Paul i n the m a r z i p a n c h u r c h o n the plaza t o w a r d ten i n the m o r n i n g the slow bell tolls i n the towers o f Peter S¿ Paul a n d the oíd men w h o are s t i l l alive sit s u n n i n g themselves i n a r o w , , o n the w o o d benehes i n the p a r k a n d w a t c h the processions i n an o u t . funerais i n the m o r n i n g weddings i n the a f t e r n o o n slow bell i n the m o r n i n g Fast bell at noon Tn one door o u t the other the oíd m e n sit there i n their hats a n d w a t c h the c o m i n g & going Y o u have seen t h e m ¡. the ones w h o feed the pigeons ,¡ c u t t i n g the stale bread w i t h their thumbs & péhtnives

the ones w i t h oíd pocketwatches t h e oíd ones w i t h gnarled hands and w i l d eyebrows the ones w i t h the baggy pants w i t h b o t h bett & suspenders the grappa d r i n k e r s w i t h t e e t h like c o r n the Piemontesi t h e Genovesi the Sicilianos smelling o f garlic & pepperonia t h e ones w h o loved M u s s o l i n i the oíd fascists t h e ones w h o loved G a r i b a l d i t h e oíd anarchists r e a d i n g UVmanita Nova t h e ones w h o loved Sacco 8L V a n z e t t i T h e y are almost all gone now T h e y are s i t t i n g a n d w a i t i n g t h e i r t u r n and s u n n i n g themselves i n f r o n t o f the c h u r c h over t h e doors o f w h i c h is inscribed a phrase w h i c h w o u l d seem t o be unfinished f r o m D a n t e ' s Paradiso about the glory o f t h e One w h o moves e v e r y t h i n g . . . T h e oíd men are w a i t i n g for i t t o be finished for t h e i r glorious sentence o n e a r t h t o be finished the slow bell tolls & tolls t h e pigeons s t r u t a b o u t not even t h i n k i n g o f flying the air t o o heavy w i t h heavy t o l l i n g T h e black h i r e d bearses d r a w u p the black limousines w i t h black windowshades shielding the widows the widows w i t h the long black veils who w i l l o u t l i v e t h e m a l l Y o u have seen t h e m

madre di térra, madre di mare T h e w i d o w s c l i m b o u t of t h e limousines T h e f a m i l y m o u r n e r s step o u t i n stiff suits T h e widows w a l k so s l o w l y u p the steps o f the c a t h e d r a l fishnet veils d r a w n d o w n leaning h a r d o n d a r k c l o t h arms T h e i r faces do n o t fall a p a r t T h e y are m e r e l y d r a w n a p a r t T h e y are still the m a t r i a r c h s o u t l i v i n g everyone t h e oíd dagos d y i n g o u t i n L i t t l e I t a i v s a l l over A m e r i c a t h e oíd dead dagos hauled o u t i n the m o r n i n g sun t h a t does n o t m o u r n for anyone One b y one Y e a r b y year they are carried o u t T h e bell never stops t o l l i n g T h e oíd I t a l i a n s w i t h lapstrake faces are hauled o u t o f the hcarses by the p a i d pallbearcrs in mafioso m o u r n i n g coats & d a r k glasses T h e oíd dead m e n are hauled o u t in their black coflins like small skiffs T h e y enter the t r u c c h u r c h for the first t i m e i n m a n y years in these carved black boats readv to be ferried over T h e priests scurry about as i f t o cast off the lines T h e other oíd m e n still alive on the benehes w a t c h i t a l l w i t h their hats on

•te

Y o u have seen t h e m s i t t i n g there '^ ,,„,;,iWaiting for the bocei h a l l to stop roHing '''*t w a i t i n g for the bell

T H E AT

S E A

AND

O U R S E L V E S '

C A P E

ANN

y^'^

to stop t o l l i n g & t o l l i n g for the slow bell

' :

. . . i ' ,

t o be finished t o l l i n g t e l l i n g the unfínished Paradiso s t o r y as seen ín an unfínished phrase r .ív .'•

VjawCawCaw on a far shingle l o n g ago w h e n as a boy I came here

> ; , . ,' • , ! - " •

p u t ear t o shell

on the faee o f a c h u r c h as seen i n a físherman's face , J; i n a b l a c k b o a t w i t h o u t sails '*v'i.:'' ^ i ' Í - ' ' m a k i n g his final h a u l ,^ , /(¡i ; ' ;> :

of the t h u n d e r i n g sea Bunderingsea seagulls h i g h over I calling & calling back t h e n , i; ' ! at Cape A n n Gloucester W h e r e Olson saw himself I s h m a e l and w r o t e his o w n e p i t a p h : ,i > * I set o u t n o w in a box u p o n the sea' A n d Creeley f o u n d his crecí y e t w o u l d n o t / ed. n o t speak o f the sea A n d F e r r i n i took the w i n d ' s clothes a n d became the conscience o f Gloucester Y e t none c o u l d breathe í'. V ,

a soul i n t o the sea A n d I saw the t i d e pools gasping the Bca's m o u t h r o a r i n g I (,

polyphoboistrous b e y o n d the T e n Pound L i g h t •'•,..,,'„;•

roistering off f a r i s l a n d s

Where E l i o t heard i • the sea's stark m e d i t a t i o n i

178

, i ' ' off fceauporí Gloucester

W h e r e I as a m a n m u c h later made a l a n d f a l l i n t h e g l o a m i n g s i g h t i n g f r o m seaward i n c o n v o y h e y o n d t h e gulls' far off t a t t e r e d cries cats'cries lost reached t o us ' i n shredded enatches T h e n as n o w Eliot must have been a seaman in his c i t y - s o u l t o have heard so deeply the sea's voice sounding then i n ' T h e D r y Salvages' Here now where n o w is the sea's urge s t i l l sea's surge a n d t h u n d e r

except w i t h i n us folded under b y the beach r o a d now r a p t i n darkness T h e sea still a great door never opened great ships asunder clinker-built bottoms nets h u n g w i t h c o r k hulls heavy w i t h c a u i k i n g W h i l e s t i l l t h e Nor'easter blows still t h e h i g h tides â&#x20AC;˘! seethe & sweep shorcward b a t t e r t h e breakwaters t h e granite harbors rock villages L a n d ' s E n d lashed again i n ' t h e sudden f u r y '

A n d s t i l l t h e stoned gulls soaring over crying & calling & crying blissed-out u p there i n t h e d a r k e n i n g air over t h e r u n n i n g sea theruningsea over d a r k stone beach under stars Where n o w we s i t 'distracted f r o m d i s t r a c t i o n ' s t i l l Odyssey t u r n e d t o Iliad i n p a r k e d cars

y' A

S W E E T

F L Y I N G

D R E A M

A f t e r a long w a y a n d a long while

were t w o naked light-headed dandelions w i t h n a t u r a l hair b l o w n o u t floating h i g h over the landscape b l o w n b y zephyr winds our l o n g legs d a n g l i n g straight d o w n translucent dandelion stems i n a n a r c h e t y p a l p r i m o r d i a l dream of

flying

Sweet hills & waters flowed below us as we floated h i g h over lakes & rivers & w i n d b l o w n peaks We drifted

glided d o w n I lower & lower in great swinging eircles , ; T h e sea the l a p p i n g sea roseup and we were o v e r d r y gold l a n d , ,

cióse u p

a n d 11 íI was a f r a i d y o u w o u l d come against the ground too h a r d a n d I reached d o w n and took y o u r t w o extended hands in mine and held y o u below me

w a f t e d easily

like t h a t

We flew wingless F u l l o f air our hair j buoyed us ,

• ;

floating As we d r i f t e d lower & lower the earth

• j;'. .;,,,,„

came u p to us

so softly

t r a i l e d our s l i m legs in streams o f silver air There

And

we landed so q u i e t l y

was n o t h i n g blowing US down oraway f r o m each other

sank so gently t o the b r i g h t soft ground A n d lay i n the l i g h t flowerless fields

182

TWO

S C A V E N G E R S

TWO

B E A U T I F U L

T R U C K ,

P E O P L E

M E R C E D E S

. A . t t h e stopHght w a i t i n g f o r t h e Hght N i n e A . M . d o w n t o w n San Franeisco a b r i g h t yellow garba ge t r u c k w i t h t w o garbagemen i n red pl谩stic blazers s t a n d i n g o n the back stoop one on each side h a n g i n g o n and l o o k i n g d o w n i n t o

as i f they were w a t c h i n g some odorless T V ad i n w h i c h e v e r y t h i n g is always possible A n d the v e r y red l i g h t for a n i n s t a n t h o l d i n g a l l f o u r ci贸se together as i f a n y t h i n g a t a l l were possible between t h e m across t h a t grcat gulf in t h e h i g h seas of thisdeniorracv

an elegant open Mercedes w i t h an elegant couple i n i t The man i n a h i p three-piece l i n e n s u i t w i t h shoulder-length b l o n d hair & sunglasses T h e v o u n g b l o n d w o m a n so casuallv coifed w i t h a short s k i r t a n d colored stockings on the w a y to his architcct's office A n d t h e t w o seavengers u p since F o u r A . M . g r u n g y f r o m their r o u t e on t h e w a y home T h e oider o f t h e t w o w i t h grey i r o n hair and hunehed back l o o k i n g d o w n like some gargoyle Quasimodo A n d the younger o f the t w o also w i t h simglasses & l o n g h a i r a b o u t the same age as the Mercedes d r i v e r A n d b o t h seavengers gazing d o w n as f r o m a great distance at the cool couple 184

185

THE

B I L L B O A R D

the left h a l f still blank

P A I N T E R S

w h i t e o n w h i t e as i f ;

The

, t h e other h a l f o f t h e w o r l d h a d

two

s t i l l t o be p r o v i d e d f o r ;"'

white-overalled white-capped i

í :

God

signpainters

/'.•:':'''r''l''y'V'on t h e •,

Hcaffold suspended

••• ' . bülboard

'•„•"'••.';;

C r e a t o r was m a y b e

c h a n g i n g his or her m i n d h a l f -

•

' •

o n the huge

w a y t h r u as i f

beside t h e eievated

even he or she was I

freeway

;

p a i n t i n g a snapshot landseape o f

n o t so c e r t a i n a n y m o r e i t

' ¡!; :: i

was such a good idea after

• I,' •••••.' 1

a S o u t h Sea island beach

1 , • "(''í •

all

' :l'

w i t h lagoon a n d coral reef a n d

these t w o so-white A l l A m e r i c a n

; !\s

;., ••.i.

,• ."'•í'/p''!''V,¡ ••' /•••')['' ' ' i , t h r u w h i c h t h e sun ' / , ' f l ' , ¡ i ' ' i ' .

the t w o ••

'' '' '• •

issettingand

: ,

t h e advertisers w h o -

sunburned v;:i"'í''(,,::\e beach

I ,

''I '

arms a n d paintbrushes raised

;' i

, , ''''

' , '

'•"landscape ^

^ ' •

;

, , :

', '

with

wateringplaces w i t h

¡ ii;

h a l f w a y t h r u the

the r i g h t h a l f p a i n t e d a n d

t h e y had l o advertise n o w i n order t o fill those f a n c y

"if' i " '

s t r u c k motionless w i t h

,'•""^W^^'^'"'''

román e m p i r e where

a l l - w h i t e painters

í,,

American,

t h e m i d d l e o f San Francisco

' : • ,

'.'mí',, p a r t i c u l a r paradise

hotels l o o k i n g l i k e t h e v*' ; ^, .

Justiceand

the t w o

í ''.'•!,-,• i j , ' . ,

i, •;

next t o t h e H a l l o f q u e s t i o n m a r k

•! •,. ••

w i t h a jet strip and

over t h e m y r i a d flashing cars i n ,' ' ' !ii '. ,

K\,''''

h*d<*H íi'l^^ady recycled t h a t

• 1'

and t h e real sun eold '

•• •,

'•'^^^f

were p a y i n g for t h i s sign

N o r t h A m e r i c a n couple on the

,i;/'-;':'^ií'f:í;f'' •' ,:';]

painters p a i n t i n g

as i f

" !•

!,,ii i ¡

l''-

''¡'''-'W

t h a t paradise o n e a r t h

w h i t e painters p a i n t i n g a ; '

•

t o have

i •

¡',

or some o t h e r

s l i g h t i y less o m n i p o t e n t

high

or as i f

i, '• •"'

.I.'

retired billboard "'i

painterswho

belonged t o t h e unión a n d got themselves a n d t h e i r wives a l l these benefítslike 187

«te.

I- >

S o u t h Sea island t r i p s after w o r k i n g a l l their lives i n u n t r o p i c a l plaees like San Francisco which Sir Francis D r a k e f o u n d a n d w r o t e back t o the head o f kis empire saying he had j u s t discovered a real unspoiled n a t i v e paradise a n d if they hurried and p u t u p b i l l b o a r d s back home t h e y m i g h t j u s t be able t o set u p a colony o u t here w i t h

H O M E

• .„..„

a killing and die h a p p y i n < a beachchair ; '; r

H O M E

h ere are t h e y going all these b r a v e i n t r e p i d animáis F u r a n d flesh i n Steel cabinets o n wheels high-tailing i t F o u r P M F r i d a y freeway over t h e h i d d e n l a n d San Francisco's b u r n i n g w i t h t h e late sun i n a million windows T h e four-wheeled animáis are l e a v i n g i t t o b u r n T h e y ' r e escaping almost flying h o m e t o the nest h o m e t o t h e w a r m caves i n t h e h i d d e n hills & valleys home t o d a d d y home to m a m a home t o the l i t t l e wonders home t o the p o t p l a n t s b e h i n d the garage T h e cars the p a i n t e d cabinets streak for home home home THRU TRAFFIC MERGE LEFT home to the h i d d e n t u r n i n g the h i d d e n y e a r n i n g home t o San J o s é home t o Santa Cruz & M o n t e r e y home t o H a m i l t o n A v e n u e home to the Safeway t h e safest w a y YIELD

s w i m m i n g pools a n d even m a y b e m a k e a p o t o f gold or

H O M E

very far \m home

LEFT LAÑE MUST T U R N LEFT 188

•T^

h o m e t o t h e h t t l e grey home i n t h e West home t o C r a n d d a d d y on the golfcourse home t o Unele IVed p u t t e r i n g i n the toolshed , ,, i ¡ h a v i n g lost his pants , ; i o n t h e stock exehange . ,, • h o m e to b i g sister w h o lost her w a y ín encounter groups h o m e l o the 9 7 - l b housewife d r i v i n g t w o tons o f e h r o m e & Steel ' three blocks t o the s u p e r m a r k e t t o b u y a package o f baby pins home to l i t t l e sister blusbing w i t h boyfriends i

stooped over artichokes home home over the h o r i z o n where t h e sun s t i l l blows i n t o the sea h o m e t o B i g Sur ^ ! > and the garden o f delights a n d t h e oranges o f H i e r o n y m o u s Bosch the sun still sets ;'. i • ( • i n lavender skies H o m e sweet home the salesman sighs

home safe a t home i n the b a t h r o o m safe w i t h the washingmachine & dishwasher

i f. r • '

safe w i t h the waterheater safe w i t h the k i t c h e n d o c k

i n the l a u n d r y r o o m

tick tick

home to k i d b r o t h e r w i t h skateboards & A d i d a s home t o m a d Unele buílding C B radios i n h i d d e n bunkers

t h e t i m e is n o t yet • :i : • t h e a l a r m is set .••>:'• •Z^' safe at last in the douhle bed , h i d d e n f r o m each other

home to b a c k y a r d barbecues w i t h aerospace neighbors M r . Wiison's c o m i n g over

; ;,. i. ,

i n the d a r k bed b y the w i n d i n g stair t h e enchanted place i n the s t i l l air

T h e Hendersons w i l l a l l be there

• •

H o m e to H i d d e n V^alley where the w l d o w w a i t s b y t h e Cross o n the m o u n t a i n

•:

'i i ' j :

WILUDIVIDKTOSUIT GAS F O O D L O D G I N G N E X T R I G H T home to where the food is home to W a t s o n v i l l e home to Salinas ' past the Grapes o f W r a t h past U n i t e d F a r n i w o r k e r a

h i d d e n each f r o m each or t h e queensize bed the kingsize bed

t h e waterbed w i t h the v i b r a t o r w i t h the n y l o n n y m p h o in i t

/ V':

(;

; , ,;

, - ;

• v >,, '

t h e bed of roses t h e bed w i t h B i g E m m a i n it w i t h the stoncd-out Angel i n i t ( M o u n t a i n s o f flesh H i l l s o f l i i p s A thighs R o l l i n g landscapes o f h e a v i n g m e a t Groans & moans »& cries!) " H o m e t o the bed we made

' ',

.¡ ,

, , <'.

where hangs the t r u e madness home to Santa's Village

, '!,', i

a n d m u s t lie in

I ^ :

w i t h *whoever' Or home to t h e bed s t i l l t o be made o f ragas & visions t h e bed whose f o r m is puré l i g h t { a n d u n h e a r d melodies d a r k despairs & i nc ho a t e ecstasiea longings o u t o f reaeh) W h o to decipher t h e m w h o answer t h e m singing each t o each? H i d d e n f r o m themselves T h e beds are w a r m w i t h t h e m T h e springs q u a k e o n t h e San Andreas F a u l t T h e dark l a n d broods L o o k i n m y eye, look i n m y eye t h e cvclope t v cries

J O S E

{Flagrante

S Y M P H O N Y

R E C E P T I O N

delicio)

T h e b a l d m a n i n p l a i d p l a y i n g the h a r p s i c h o r d stopped sh or t a n d sidled over t o t h e sideboard a n d copped a piece o f M o k a o n a silver píate and slid back a n d started p l a v i n g again some k i n d of H u n g a r i a n rhapsodate w h i l e t h e l a d v w i t h the green eyeshades leaned over h i m e x u d i n g admiration & lust ITalf notes danced & t u m b l e d o u t of his i n s t r u m e n t

I t b l i n k s and rolls i t s glassy eye a n d shakes its v a c u u m head over t h e shaken bodies i n the bed

SAN

e x u d i n g a f a i n t odor of chocolate cake •.

i n t h e córner I was t a k i n g a course i n musical d e s t r u c t i o n f r o m t h e d a r k ladv eellisl w h o b en t over me w i t h her bow unsheathcd and proceeded t o saw me i n h a l f As a consequencc m \s fell r i g h t off revealing a b a d l y bent t r o m b o n e w h i c h even the first flutist w h o h a d perfect e m b o u c h u r e eouldn't straighten out

192

W H I T E

' d u m b pawns

W H I T E

in black-and-white

slowly shaking its gossamer wings

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drink nothing but white

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are s t i l l p u t t i n g up the placards

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s t r a i n i n g the ocean f o r its phosphorous

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w i l l be governed

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under the w h i t e m o o n

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and albino animáis

No Way w i t h o u t a pass I t is snowing w h i t e documents The very rich get richer s t i l l A w h i t e gloved hand s t i l l reaches o u t the w i n d o w

(Blacks bleached o u t i n t o w h i t e men?)

for the money i n the cup

L i b e r t y is n o t free

A n d to dream of w h i t e s t r i n g , a s y m b o l of innocence

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i n the hourglass

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search the sky

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a n d w h i t e is the sand

. '

T h o u g h the color o f d e a t h be w h i t e A n d the w o r l d eheekered w i t h d e a t h while-on-biack & black-on-white 194

kingdoms'

A n ángel stands o n a s t a t i o n p l a t f o r m

T h e ángel stands on the edge o f the s t a t i o n p l a t f o r m

slowly m o v i n g i t s large w h i t e wings w h i c h look t o o fragüe t o l i f t the b o d y o f being w h i c h s t i l l hreathes anarchist a i r A n d the t r a i n t h e t r a i n made o f n o t h i n g b u t boxcars j a m m e d w i t h three b i l l i o n people s t i l l stands i n the s t a t i o n t r e m b l i n g A n d w h i t e phoenixes arise o u t o f piñón smoke A n d the ' w h i t e sphinx of chance' s t i l l holds its tongue o n t h e desert roads o f the f u t u r e

E L E G Y

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(After the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone Harvey Milk in San francisco, November, 1978)

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L e ?t í U S n o t sit u p o n t h e g r o u n d and tell sad stories o f the deat h of s a n i t y . T w o h u m a n s m a d e o f flesh are meshed i n deat h and n o more need be said. \ I t is puré v a n i t y t o t h i n k t h a t all h u m a n i t y be b a t h e d i n r e d , ^ because one y o u n g m a d m a n one so b ad m a n lost his head. > T h e forcé t h a t t h r o u g h t h e red fuze drove t h e b u l l e t does n o t d r i v e everyone t h r o u g h the C i t v o f Saint Francis where there's a breathless hush i n the a i r t o d a y •' a hush a t C i t y H a l l and a hush a t the H a l l o f Justiee a hush i n Saint Francis W o o d where no b i r d tries t o s i n g a hush o n the Great H i g h w a y and i n the great harbor u p o n the great ships and on t h e E m b a r c a d e r o f r o m the M i s s i o n Rock Resort t o the Eagle Cafe

197

a hush o n the great red bridge a n d o n the great grey bridge a hush i n the Outer M i s s i o n and at I l u n t e r ' s Point a hush at a h o t p o t a t o stand on Pier 39 and a hush at the People's T e m p l e where no b i r d tries its wings a hush and a weeping at the C o n v e n t of the Sacred H e a r t on Upper B r o a d w a y a hush u p o n the fleshpots of Lower Broadway

a pall u p o n the p u n k roek at M a b u h a y Gardens a n d u p o n the cafes a n d bookstores

A D I E U

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So.„tWhH™a„.„„s„fP„e sons o f Lorca & R i m b a u d or t h e i r d a r k daughters poets o f another b r e a t h poets o f another visión W h o a m o n g y o u still speaks o f r e v o l u t i o n W h o a m o n g v o u s t i l l unscrews the iocks f r o m the doors i n this revisionist deeade? ' Y o n are President o f y o u r o w n b o d y , A m e r i c a ' T h u s spoke K u s h i n T e p o t z l a n

o f oíd N o r t h Beach

youngblood w i l d h a i r e d ángel poet one o f a spa w n o f w i l d poets

a hush u p o n the landscape o f the s t i l l w i l d West

i n the image o f Alien Ginsberg w a n d e r i n g the wilds of A m e r i c a

where t w o sweet dudes are dead and no more need be said. D o n o t sit u p o n the g r o u n d and speak

* Y o u R i m b a u d s o f another b r e a t h ' sang K u s h

o f other senseless murderings or worse disasters w a i t i n g

maddened like most poets for one m a d reason or another

i n the wings D o n o t sit u p o n the g r o u n d and l a l k o f the death o f things beyond these sad sad happcnings. Such m e n as these do rise above our worst iniaginings.

i n the unmade bed of the w o r l d Sons o f W h i t m a n

a n d wandered off w i t h his o w n p a r t i c u l a r paranoias

in your 'public solitude' b o u n d b y blood-duende 'President o f y o u r o w n body A m e r i c a ' T a k e i t back f r o m those w h o have maddened y o u back f r o m those w h o stole i t and steal i t d a i l y T h e subjective m u s t take back the w o r l d f r o m the ohjcctive gorillas & guerrillas of the w o r l d We m u s t r e j o i n somehow

t h e animáis i n the fields i n t h e i r steady-state m e d i t a t i o n ' Y o u r life is i n y o u r o w n hands s t i l l M a k e i t flower m a k e i t sing' (so sang m a d K u s h i n T e p o t z l a n ) •< , 'a c o n s t i t u t i o n a l congress o f t h e b o d y ' • s t i l l t o be convened t o seizecontrol of the State • • • .• ; • ' ' the subjective state r, ¡ ' i from those w h o have subverted i t ' T h e arab telephone o f t h e avant-garde S has b r o k e n d o w n ,ii . A n d I speak t o y o u now f r o m another e o u n t r y 1 D o n o t t u r n away • i n your p u b l i c solitudes y o u poets o f other visions

^ ,i

> í

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of t h e sepárate lonesome visions u n t a m e d uncornered visions

i ''

fierce recalcitrant visions. i'... •. ., y o u W h i t m a n s of another b r e a t h w h i c h is n o t the too-cool b r e a t h of m o d e r n p o e t r y w h i c h is n o t the halitosis o f i n d u s t r i a l c i v i l i z a t i o n L i s t e n now Listen again to the song i n the b l o o d the d a r k duende a d a r k sin between the tickings of c i v i l i z a t i o n : - •,' '¡ between the lines of its headlines i n t h e silences between cars ÍÍ/Í/H: 'I d r i v e n l i k e weapons -'h ' I n t w o h u n d r e d years o f freedom

r'i;iV"'.

we have i n v e n t e d the p e r m a n e n t a l i e n a t i o n o f the subjective almost every t r u l y Creative being , alienated & e x p a t r i a t e d i n his o w n e o u n t r y

> i ;! '!!' i ' i- ;,

i n M i d d l e A m e r i c a or San Francisco the death o f the d r e a m i n y o u r b i r t h 0 m e l t i n g p o t America 1 speak to y o u f r o m another e o u n t r y another k i n d of h l o o d - l e t t i n g l a n d f r o m T e p o t z l a n the poets' l a n ' L a n d o f the L o r d o f t h e D a w n

Quetzalcoatl "' L a n d o f the P l u m e d Serpent I signal t o y o u as A r t a u d signaled t h r o u g h the ñames

'v .' :

I signal t o v o u . • ' 'i over the heads o f t h e l a n d the h a r d heads t h a t stand like menhirs above the l a n d i n every e o u n t r y t h e short-haired hvenas w h o s t i l l rule e v e r y t h i n g

, •

I signal to y o u f r o m Poets' L a n d y o u poets of the alienated b r e a t h

i, • ;

t o take back your l a n d again a n d the deep sea of the subjective H a v e y o u heard the sound o f the ocean l a t e l y the sound b y w h i c h d a i l y the stars still are d r i v e n the sound bv w h i c h n i g h t l y

•••,';•,;:•}'•;'

!.,!.•.,,•,,;,•

(

the stars retake t h e i r sky T h e sea thunders s t i l l t o r e m i n d v o u o f the t h u n d e r i n the blood t o r e m i n d y o u o f v o u r selves ; T h i n k now o f v o u r self as o f a difitant ship

' ' i

T h i n k now of vour beloved o f t h e eyes o f y o u r beloved 201

whoever ¡s most beloved he w h o held y o u h a r d i n the d a r k or she w h o washed her h a i r b y t h e w a t e r f a l l whoever makes the heart p o u n d the b l o o d p o u n d L i s t e n saya the r i v e r L i s t e n says the sea W i t h i n y o u y o u w i t h y o u r prívate visions o f another r e a l i t y a sepárate r e a l i t y L i s t e n a n d s t u d y the eharts of l i m e Read the sanskrit o f ants i n the sand Y o u W h i t m a n s of another b r e a t h there is no one else to tell how the alienated generations have l i v e d o u t their expatríate visions

H o w m a n y N e a l Cassadys o n lost r a i l r o a d tracks H o w m a n y replicas o f W o o d y G u t h r i e w i t h cracked g u i t a r s H o w m a n v photocopies o f longhaired Joan H o w m a n y Ginsberg facsimiles a n d carbon-copy Keseys s t i l l w a n d e r i n g the streets o f A m e r i c a in oíd tennis shoes a n d backpacks or d r i v i n g beat-up school buses w i t h destination-signs r e a d i n g ' F u r t h e r ' H o w m a n y B u d d h i s t Catholics h o w m a n y cantors c h a n t i n g the Great I ' a r a m i t a Sutra o n the L o w e r East Side H o w m a n y W h o l e E a r t h Catalogs lost i n out-houses on N e w México communes H o w m a n y P u n k Rockers w a v i n g swastikas Franco is dead b u t so is Picasso

here a n d evervwhere T h e oíd generations have l i v e d t h e m o u t

C h a p l i n is dead b u l I ' d wear his bowler

L i v e d o u t the bobemian m y t h i n Greenwieh Villages

h a v i n g o u t l i v e d a l l our m y t h s b u t his the m y t h o f the purc subjective

L i v e d o u t the l l e m i n g w a y m y t h in The Sun Also Rises

the collective subjective t h e L i t t l e M a n i n each o f us

at the D o m e i n Paris or w i t h the bulls a t P a m p l o n a

w a i t i n g w i t h C h a r l o t or Pozzo O n every córner I see t h e m

L i v e d o u t the l l e n r y M i l l e r m y t h in the Tropics of Paris

h i d d e n inside t h e i r t i g h t clean clothes T h e i r hats are n o t derbys t h e y have no canes b u t we k n o w t h e m

a n d the great Greek dream o f The Cotossus of Maroussi and the t r o p i c dream of (íauguin

we have always waited w i t h them

I_,ived out the D . I I . Lawrence m y t h

T h e y t u r n and l u t c h their pants and walk away f r o m us

i n The Plumed Serpent in M é x i c o Lake Chápala

d o w n the d a r k e n i n g road i n the great A m e r i r a n n i g h t

A n d the M a l c o l m L o w r y m \h Under the Volcano a t Cuernavaca A n d then the saga of On the Road and the l í o b D v l a n m \h B l o w i n g i n the

ind

{Tepotzlan

'75—S««

Francisco''78)

H o w m a n y roads m u s t a m a n w a l k d o w n

202

203

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R E T I R E D

B A L L E R I N A S ,

C E N T R A L

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W E S T

R , e t i r e ( l ballerinas on winter aftemoons w a l k i n g t h e i r dogs i n C e n t r a l P a r k West ( o r t h e i r cats o n leashes— t h e cats themselves oíd h i g h w i r e artists) The ballerinas leap a n d p i r o u e t t e through Columbus Circle w h i l e w i n o s o n p a r k benehes ( l a i d back l i k e d r u n k e n G o u d o n o v s ) hear t h e taxis t r u m p e t t o g e t h e r l i k e horsemen of t h e apocalypse i n t h e d u s k o f t h e gods I t is t h e final w i t c h i n g h o u r w h e n swains are f u l l of swan songs A n d a l l r e t u r n t h r o u g h the d a r k dusk to t h e i r b r i g h t eells i n glass h i g h r i s e s o r sit d o w n to o v a l cigarettes a n d cakes i n the Russian Tea R o o m o r e l i m b f o u r flights to back r o o m s i n Westside brownstones w h e r e f a d e d p l a y b i l l photos . f a l l p e c i i n g f r o m t h e i r franies l i k e last year's a u t u m n leaves

207

«te.

M O D E R N

P O E T R Y

( B U T

I T

S A Y I N G

P R O S E P L E N T Y )

I a m t h i m i b i n g t h r o i i f i h a great a n t h o l o g y o f c o n t e m p o r a r y p o e t r y , and i t w o u l d seem t h a t " t h e voice t h a t is great w i t h i n U8" sounds w i t h i n us m o s t l y i n a prose voice, a l b e i t i n t h e t y p o g r a p h y o f p o e t r y . W h i c h is n o t to say i t is prosaie or has no depths, w h i c h is n o t to say i t is dead o r d y i n g , or n o t lovely or not b e a u t i f u l or not w e l l w r i t t e n or not w i t t y and brave. I t is v e r y m u c h a l i v e , v e r y w e l l w r i t t e n , l o v e l y , l i v e l y prose—prose t h a t stands w i t h o u t the crutches o f p i m c t u a t i o n , prose whose syntax is so clear i t can be w r i t t e n a l l over t h e page, i n open f o r m s and o p e n fields, a n d s t i l l be v e r y clear, v e r y dear prose. A n d i n the t y p o g r a p h y o f p o e t r y , the poetic and t h e prosaie i n t e l l e c t m a s q u e r a d e i n each other's clothes. W a l k i n g t h r o u g h o u r prose b u i l d i n g s i n t h e 21st c e n t u r y , one m a y l o o k baek a n d w o n d e r at t h i s strange age w h i c h a l l o w e d p o e t r y to w a l k i n ])rose r h y t h m s a n d s t i l l ealled i t p o e t r y . M o d e r n p o e t r y is prose because i t sounds as s u b d u e d as any c i t y m a n o r w o m a n whose l i f e f o r c é is s u b m e r g e d i n u r b a n l i f e . M o d e r n p o e t r y is prose because i t has no duende, d a r k s p i r i t o f e a r t h and b l o o d , n o soul o f d a r k song, no passion m u s i e k . L i k e m o d e r n s c u l p t u r e , i t loves t h e concrete. L i k e m i n i m a l art, i t minimizes emotion i n favor of understated i r o n y and i n q j l i e d i n t e n s i t y . As such i t is t h e p e r f e c t p o e t r y f o r t e c h n o c r a t i e m a n . B u t h o w o f t e n does t h i s p o e t r y rise above the m e a n sea l e v e l o f his s p a r k l i n g p l a i n ? E z r a P o u n d once decanted his o p i n i ó n t h a t o n l y i n t i m e s o f decadence does p o e t r y sepárate i t s e l f f r o m n m s i c . A n d t h i s is t h e w a y t h e w o r l d ends, n o t w i t h a song b u t a w h i m p e r . Eighty or ninety to h u m , almost (as c e r t a i n l y began t o machines. A n d c i t y 208

years ago, w h e n a l l the machines began i t seemed) i n unisón, the speech o f m a n be affected b y the absolute staccato o f j>oetry c e r t a i n l y eehoed i t . W h i t m a n was

a h o l d o v e r , s i n g i n g the song o f h i m s e l f . A n d S a n d b u r g a h o l d o v e r , s i n g i n g his sagas. A n d V a c h e l L i n d s a y a h o l d o v e r , d r u m m i n g his chants. A n d l a t e r t h e r e was W a l l a c e Stevens w i t h his h a r m o n i o u s " f i c t i v e m u s i c . " A n d t h e r e was L a n g s t o n H u g h e s . A n d A l i e n G i n s b e r g , c h a n t i n g his m a n t r a s , s i n g i n g B l a k e . T h e r e s t i l l are otliers e v e r y w h e r e , jazz i>oets a n d poetic s t r u m m e r s a n d wailers i n t h e streets of t h e w o r l d , m a k i n g poetry out of the urgent insurgent N o w , of the i m m e d i a t e i n s t a n t self, t h e i n c a r n a t e c a r n a l self {as D . H . L a w r e n c e called i t l . B u t m u c h p o e t r y was caught u p i n t h e l i n o l y p e ' s h o t slug a n d n o w i n the so cold t y p e o f I B M . N o song a m o n g t h e typists, no song i n o u r concrete a r c h i t e c t u r e , o u r concrete music. A n d t h e n i g h t i n g a l e s m a y s t i l l be s i n g i n g near t h e C o n v e n t o f t h e Sacred H e a r t , b u t we can h a r d l y h e a r t h e m i n t h e c i t y waste lands of T . S. E l i o t , ñ o r i n bis Four Quartets ( w h i c h can't be p l a y e d o n any i n s t r u m e n t a n d yet is t h e most b e a u t i f u l prose o f o u r t i m e ) . Ñ o r i n t h e prose wastes o f E z r a Pound's Cantos w h i c h aren't canti because t h e y c a n ' t b e sung b y anyone. Ñ o r i n t h e p a n g o l i n prose o f M a r i a n n e M o o r e ( w h o ealled h e r w r i t i n g p o e t r y f o r l a c k of a n y t h i n g b e t t e r to c a l i i t ) . Ñ o r i n t h e great prose b l a n k verse o f K a r l Shapiro's Essay on Rime, ñor i n t h e i n n e r c i t y speech o f W i l l i a m Carlos W i l l i a m s , i n the fíat-out speech o f his Paterson. A l l o f w h i c h is a p p l a u d e d b y p o e t r y professors a n d p o e t r y reviewers i n a l l t h e best places, n o n e of w h o m w i l l c o m m i t t h e o r i g i n a l s i n o f saying some poet's p o e t r y is prose i n the t y p o g r a p h y of p o e t r y — j u s t as t h e poet's f r i e n d s w i l l n e v e r t e l l h i m , j u s t as t h e poet's editors w i l l never say i t — t h e d u m h e s t conspiracy o f silence i n t h e h i s t o r y o f letters. M o s t m o d e r n p o e t r y is poetic prose b u t i t is saying p l e n t y , b y its o w n e x a m p l e , about w h a t d e a t h o f t h e s p i r i t o u r techn o c r a t i e c i v i l i z a t i o n m a y be d e a l i n g us, enmeshed i n m a c h i n e s and m a c h o n a t i o n a l i s m s , w h i l e we c o n t i n u é l o n g i n g f o r t h e n i g h t i n g a l e a m o n g t h e pines o f R e s p i g h i . I t is t h e b i r d singi n g t h a t makes us h a p p y .

209

E N D L E S S

L I F E

E n d i e s s the splendid l i f e of the w o r l d Endiess its l o v e l y l i v i n g a n d b r e a t h i n g its l o v e l y sentient beings seeing a n d b e a r i n g f e e l i n g a n d t h i n k i n g l a u g h i n g and d a n c i n g s i g h i n g a n d c r y i n g t h r o u g h endiess afternoons endiess n i g h t s o f l o v e and ecstasy j o y a n d despair d r i n k i n g and d o p i n g t a l k i n g a n d s i n g i n g i n endiess A m s t e r d a m s o f existence w i t h endiess l i v e l y conversations over endiess cups o f coffee i n l i t e r a r y cafes o n r a i n y m o r n i n g s Endiess street movies passing i n cars a n d t r a m s of desire o n t h e endiess tracks of l i g h t A n d endiess l o n g h a i r d a n c i n g to airless p u n k r o c k and a i r h e a d disco through M i l k y Way midnights t o t h e Paradisos o f d a w n t a l k i n g a n d s m o k i n g and t h i n k i n g o f e v e r y t h i n g endiess at n i g h t i n t h e w h i t e of n i g h t t h e l i g h t o f n i g h t A h yes o h yes t h e endiess l i v i n g a n d l o v i n g h a t i n g a n d l o v i n g k i s s i n g and k i l l i n g Endiess t h e t i c k i n g b r e a t h i n g b r e e d i n g meat-wheel of l i f e t u r n i n g on and on t h r o u g h t i m e ; Endiess l i f e and endiess d e a t h endiess a i r a n d endiess b r e a t h Endiess w o r l d s w i t h o u t end o f days i n a u t u m n capitals t h e i r avenues o f leaves ablaze 210

Endiess dreams a n d sleep u n r a v e l l i n g t h e k n i t t e d sleeves o f care the labyrinths of t h o u g h t t h e labyrĂŠves o f l o v e t h e coils o f desire a n d l o n g i n g m y r i a d endgames of t h e u n n a m e a b l e Endiess t h e heavens o n fire endiess universe s p u n o u t W o r l d upon a musliroom pyre Endiess t h e fire t h a t hreathes i n us t a t t o o d fire-eaters d a n c i n g i n plazas s w a l l o w i n g flaming gasoline a i r Brave the beating heart of flaming l i f e its b e a t i n g a n d pulsings a n d flame-outs Endiess t h e o p e n fields o f t h e senses t h e s m e l l of lust a n d love t h e c a l l i n g a n d c a l l i n g o f cats i n h e a t t h e i r scent o f m u s t o f m u s k N o end to t h e sound o f t h e m a k i n g o f l o v e to t h e sound o f b e d springs c r e a k i n g to t h e m o a n o f lovers m a k i n g i t h e a r d t h r o u g h t h e w a l l at n i g h t N o e n d to t h e i r groans o f ecstasy moans o f t h e last lost c l i m a x the sound of j u k e b o x j u m p i n g

t h e flow o f jass and g y z m j i v e d i n Paradiso A n d t h e n t h e endiess a t t e m p t s to escape t h e nausee o f Sartre t h e b a l d h i l l s of b u r n e d o u t sensation joie de vivre i n despair boatloada o f e n l i g h t e n m e n t ships of merde afloat by Charon's m o a t greeds hysterias paranoias p o l l u t i o n s a n d perversions Endiess Vhomme revoltĂŠ

i n t h e a n o n y m o u s face o f d e a t h i n t h e tracks o f t h e m o n s t e r state Endiess his a n a r c h i s t visions endiess his a l i e n a t i o n endiess his a l i e n a t e d p o e t r y gadfly of t h e state B e a r e r o f Eros Endiess t h e sound o f t h i s l i f e o f m a n o n e a r t h his endiess r a d i o broadcasts a n d t v transmissions newspajiers r o l l i n g off endiess r o l l s o n r o t a r y presses t h e flow o f his w o r d s and images o n endiess t y p e w r i t e r r i b b o n s a n d tapes , :, ' > a u t o m a t i r w r i t i n g s and scrawlings endiess poe/ncs í/i'ctéí b y t h e u n k n o w n

t h e t e m j i t s and attempts o f t h e flesh i n f u r n i s h e d rooms o f l o v e w h e r e sings t h e s t r i c k e n dove N o e n d to t h e b i r t h i n g o f babies w h e r e l o v e o r lust has l a i n n o end to t h e sweet b i r t h o f consciousness

Endiess t h e c a l l i n g o n telephones to ends o f e a r t h t h e w a i t i n g o f lovers o n s t a t i o n p l a t f o r m s t h e c r y i n g o f b i r d s o n h i l l s and r o o f t o p s t h e c a w i n g a n d c a w i n g o f crows i n t h e sky , t h e m y r i a d c h u r m i n g o f crickets :i t h e r u n n i n g seas t h e c r y i n g waters j vV r i s i n g and f a l l i n g o n f a r shingles > , t h e l a p p i n g of tides i n t h e Ides o f a u t u m n

./ i : . >

' , < , ii

, .

and t h e c a l l i n g and c a l l i n g o f bídls i n e m p t y churclies a n d towers o f t i m e N o end to t h e c a l a m i t o u s e n u n c i a t i o n

• ,

of h a i r y h o l y m a n :, i ' Endiess t h e e v e r - u n w i n d i n g w a t c h s p r i n g h e a r t of t h e w o r l d shimmering i n time • s h i n i n g t h r o u g h space Endiess t h e tourist-boats t h r o u g h i t bateaux mouches i n endiess canals 212

;-i

i ' ,.,. '

i ' i , , t, i> > '

n o end to t h e b i t t e r deaths o f i t i n v a i n N o e n d no end to t h e w i t h e r i n g

salt kiss o f c r e a t i o n - ; !• ' i N o end to t h e sea bells t o l l i n g A ,, ' b e y o n d t h e danis a n d dykes o f h f e ,

m i l l i o n s o f w i n d o w s aflame i n sunset the City burns w i t h leftover l i g h t t h e r e d l i g h t distriets r o c k a n d g l o w w i t h endiess p o r n and neón cocks a n d v i b r a t o r s v i b r a t i n g endlessly ¡n l o n e l y t o p f l o o r r o o m s o f l e a n i n g houses Endiess t h e m u n c h i n g o n t h e meat-sandwiches o f l u s t ' t h e j u i e y steaks o f l o v e ' •< endiess dreams and orgasms f e r t i l i t y rites a n d rites o f passage and flights o f f c r t i l e b i r d s over r o o f t o p s a n d t h e d r o p j i i n g of eggs i n nests and w o m b s

^ ,!

o f f u r and f r u i t and flesh so passing f a i r and the neón mermaids s i n g i n g each to each s o m e w h e r e

Endiess t h e s l i g h t v a r i a t i o n s of the u t t e r l y f a m i l i a r t h e fires o f y o u t h t h e embers o f age t h e rage o f t h e poet b o r n a g a i n

; ' '

N o end no e n d to any a n d a l l c r e a t i o n i n t h e m u t e dance o f molecules A l l is t r a n s m u t e d A l l is m u t e d a n d a l l cries o u t again again Endiess t h e w a i t i n g f o r G o d a n d G o d o t t h e a b s u r d aetions a b s u r d plans a n d plays d i l e m m a s a n d delays

213

A b s u r d and w a i t i n g w i t h o u t action f o r t h e w i t h e r i n g away o f w a r a n d t h e w i t h e r i n g away of t h e state Insane t h e w a i t i n g w i t h o u t a c t i o n f o r t h e insane e n d i n g ! Endiess t h e wars o f good a n d e v i l t h e fíips o f f a t e t h e t r i p s o f h a t e endiess nukes a n d f a u l t s a l l f a i l i n g - s a f e i n endiess c h a i n reactions o f t h e f i n a l flash w h i l c t h e W h i t e Bicycles of protest still slowly circle r o u n d i t F o r t h e r e w i l l be a n end to t h e dogfaced gods i n w i n g t i p shoes i n G u c c i slippers i n Texas boots a n d t i n hats i n b u n k e r s pressing b u t t o n s F o r t h e r e is n o end to t h e h o p e f u l choices s t i l l to be chosen the d a r k m i n d s l i g h t e d t h e paths o f g l o r y t h e green giants of chance t h e fish-hooks o f h o p e i n t h e sloughs of despor t h e h i l l s i n t h e distance t h e h i r d s i n t h e h u s h h i d d e n streams of l i g h t a n d u n h e a r d m e l o d i e s sessions o f sweet s i l e n t t h o u g h t stately pleasure domes decreed a n d t h e h a p p y deaths o f t h e h e a r t every day t h e cocks o f clay t h e feet i n r u n n i n g shoes upon the quai A n d t h e r e is n o end to t h e doors o f p e r c e p t i o n s t i l l t o be o p e n e d a n d t h e jet-streams o f l i g h t i n t h e u p p e r a i r of t h e s p i r i t o f m a n i n t h e o u t e r space i n s i d e us i n the Amsterdams of y i n & yang 214

Endiess r u b a i y a t s a n d endiess b e a t i t u d endiess shangri-las endiess n i r v a n a s sutras a n d m a n t r a s satoris a n d scnsaras B o d h i r a m a s and Boddhisatvas k a r m a s arui k a r m a p a s ! Endiess s i n g i n g Shivas d a n c i n g o n t h e s m o k i n g w o m b s o f ecstasy! Shining! Transcendent! i n t o the crystal n i g h t of t i m e i n t h e endiess silence o f t h e s o u l i n i h e l o n g l o u d tale of m a n i n h i s endiess sound a n d f u r y signifying everything w i t h his endiess h a l l u c i n a t i o n s a d o r a t i o n s unnihilatíons i l l i u n i n a t i o n s erections a n d e x h i b i t i o n s fascismo and m a c h i s i n o circuses o f t h e s o u l astray nierrygorounds of the iniagination coney i s l a n d of t h e mindless endiess p o c n i dic'tated b y t h e u n c o l l e c t e d voice o f t h e colle<'tive unconscious blear u p o n the tracks of t i m e ! I n t h e last days of A l e x a n d r i a T h e day b e f o r e W a t e r l o o T h e d a n c i n g continúes T h e r e is a s o i m d of r e v e l r y b y n i g h t Amsterdam,

July

1980

[ndex of Tilles and First Lines

. :

)•

«fe,

I N D E X

A Meeting of Eyes in México, 150 A Phoenix at Fifty, 105 A poet is born, 110 A Sweet Flying Dream, 182 Above Taos now, 107 Adieu Á Charlot, 199 Alienation: Two Bees, 144 An Elegy on the Death of Kenneth Patchen, 110 An Elegy to Dispel Gloom, 197 An Imaginary Happening, London, 113 And I heard the learned astronomer, 146 And She 'Like a Young Year . . .', 12 And she 'like a young year . . 12 And the Arabs Asked Terrible Questions . . , , 5 And the Arabs asked terrible questions, 5 Assassination Raga, 81 At new age fifty, 105 At the stoplight waiting for the light, 184 Autobiography, 47 Away above a Harborjul . . . , 3 Away above a harborful, 3 Baseball Canto, 125 By the greal river Deschutes, 164 Caw Caw Caw, 179 Come Lie with Me and Be My Love, 72 Come lie wilh me and be my love, 72 Constantly Risking Absurdity . . . , 43

Constantly risking absurdity and death, 43 Deep Chess. 148 Director of Alienation, 133 Dog, 56 Dove sta amore . . . , 46 Dove sta amore, 46 Eight People on a Golf Course and One Bird of Freedom Flying over, 154 Endiess Life, 210 Endiess the splendid life of the world, 210 For All I Know Maybe She Was llappier, 9 For all I know maybe she was happíer, 9 For years the oíd Italians have been dying, 175 Fortune . . . , 10 Fortune has its cookies to give out, 10 Heaven . . . , 17 Heaven was only half as far ihat night, 17 Hidden Door, 65 Iliddrn door iliuid secret, 65 Home Home Home, 189 Horses at Down, 167 Ilumankintl ran indeed bear, 103 I am leading a quiet life, 47 / Am Waiting. 59 1 am waiting for my case to come up, 59

I came upon them in the cabin—, 144 I didn*t get much sleep last night, 69 I had just ordered a físhplate at the counter when, 100 / Have Not Lain tvilh Beauty All My Life . . . . 39 I have not lain wilh beauty all my life, 39 I laugh to hear me say what I am saying, 128 I put on the diving mask and went down, 168 I walked into a logo in the Teatro Melisso, 117 I was conceived in the summer of Nineteen Eighteen, 97 In a dream wilhin a dream I dreamt a dream, 170 In a Time of Revolution For Inmanee, 100 In Golden Gate Park that Day . . . . 36 In Golden Gate Park that day, 36 In Goya's Greatest Scenes We Seem to See . . . , 27 In Goya's greatest scenes we seem to see, 27 In Hintertime Praxiteles . . . , 4 In Hintertime Praxiteles, 4 In lili" lower lefi-hand córner, 113 Into the Deeper Pools . . . , 168 It takes a fast car, 139 !t Was a Face which Darkness Could Kill . . . , 13 It was a face which darkness could k i l l , 13 Knock knock on wooden Huí;sia!, 119 Laughing and Crying, 127 Let U S not sit upon the ground, 197 Life itself like championship chess, 148 Looking in the mirrors at Macy's, 133 Lost Parents, 139

Midnight Moscow Airport, 88 Modern Poetry Is Prose iBut It is Saying Plenty), 208 Moscow in the Wilderness, Segovia ¡n the Snntv, 88 Night Light, 130 Night, night, 130 Night's black mirror is broken, 147 Not Like Dante . . . . 41 Not like Dante, 41 ' Olbers Paradox, 146 On the coast of Chile where Neruda lived, 152 On the green riverbank, 163 On the Transsiberian, 119 One grand boulevard with trees, 120 People Getting Divoreed, 141 People getting divoreed, 141 Poets. come out of your closets, 156 Populist Manifestó, 156 Pound at Spoleto, 117 Reading Apollinaire hy the Rogue River, 165 Reading Apollinaire here, 165 Reading Yeats I Do Not Think . . . , 21 Reading Yeats I do not think of Ireland, 21 Recipe for Happiness in Khabarovsy or Anypluce, 120 Retired Ballerinas, Central Park W^est, 207 Retired ballerinas on winter afternoons, 207 Rough Song of Animáis Dying, 170 Salute, 121 San José Symphony Reception, 193 Sarolla's Women in their Picture Hats . . . , 7 Sarolla's women in their Picture hats, 7 See It Was Like This When . . . , 38

See it was like this when, 38 Short Story on a Painting of Gustan Klimt, 142 Sometime During Eternity . . . , 31 Sometime during eternity some guys show up, 31 Sons of Whilnian. sons of Poe, 199 Stone Reality Meditation, 103 Suddenly, 150 Siinrise. Bolinas, 104 Sweet and Various the Woodlark . . . . 23 Sweet and various the woodlark, 23 Thal Fellow on the Boattrain Who Insisted . . . , 16 That fellow on the boattrain who insisted, 16 The bald man in plaid playing ihc harpsichord. 193 The Billboard Painters, 184 'The curious upward stumbting motion . . 114 The dog trots freely in the street, 56 The General Song of Humanity, 152 The Greal Chinese Dragón, 73 The great Chinese dragón which is the greatest dragón . . . , 73 The horses the horses the wild horses at dawn, 167 The Man Who Rodé Away, 107 The Oíd Italians Dying, 175 The Oíd Sailors, 163 The Pennycandyatore beyond the 45 The pennycandystore beyond the E l , 45 The phoenix flies higher & higher, 154 The Poet's Eye Ohscenely Seeing . . . , 29 The poet's eye ohscenely seeing, 29 The Sea and Ourselves at Cape Ann, 179

The two white-overalled whitecapped, 184 The Worid Is a Beautiful Place . . . . 18 The world ii- a licauliful place, 18 Tlicre's a breathless hush on the freeway tonight, 137 They are kneeling upright on a flowered hed, 142 They Were Putling up the Statue . . . . 33 They were putling up the statue, 33 Thiid Worhl Calling. 123 This little heart that rememhers, 104 This loud mnrning, 123 Thoughts to a Concertó of Telemana, 114 Tn rvery animal who eats or shoots his own kind, 121 Toe Toe: A Couple Observed, 116 Today T i l write white on while, 194 True C.onfessional, 97 Tune in lo a raga, 81 Tiro Seavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes, 184 Underwear, 69 Upon Reflection,

147

Watching baseball, 124 We were two naked, 182 What Could She Say to the Fantastic Foolybear . . . . 35 What could she say to the fanlastic foolybear, 35 Where are they going, 189 White on White, 194 Wild Dreams of a New Beginning, 137 Wild Life Cameo, Early Morn, 164 With Bells for Hooves in Sounding Streets . . . . 14 W i l h bells for hooves in sounding streets, 14 Without closing its wings, 116

Some New Directions Paperbooks W a l l e r A b i s h . Aíphafieiiial Africa. In ¡he huiure Perfeti. NDP440. MM\ N D P . 1 8 7 .

llUngó Alain. Waync David

NDP,175

N [)P347 S a m u e l Ha/u

A d i g a l . Shilappatlikatam. NDPI62, The (ioth. NDP3H2 A n d t c w s . yollaire. NDP5I9. A n i i n . Talking al ihe Boundaries. NDP388.

G . A p o l l i n a i r e . Selected Wriungí." NDP.IIO. D j u n a B a r n « . Sighiwood. NDP98.

C h a r l e s B a u d e l a i r e . Flowers ftifn Spiern. NDP294.

M a n i n B a x . Ifie

Hntpiial

NDP402.

G o l l f n e d B c n n , f^imal limm* NDP322. W o l f g a n g B o r c h e r l . The Man Oulside. NDP319. J o r g e l u i s B o r g c s . Ijthirinlhs. NDP186. J c a n - F r a n c m t B o r y . Onre Again N D P 2 5 6 .

B r o t k , Here \;». Alwavs. NDP429. The Porirails & The Poses. N D P 3 6 0 . The River and ihe Train. N D P 4 7 B .

B u d d h a , The Dhurnmapada F r c d t r i c k B u i c h , Domeslii

Manual

NDPI88. Foriiculars.

E r n e M o C a r d e n a l , Apmahpse NDP44I. N ( ) P . 1 7 7 , /ero Hiiuf.'M)PS02. H a y d e n C ' a r r u t K , For You. N D P 2 9 8 .

From

SnoH

and

Rock,

from

Cuha

NDP349.

Chaos

Lnuis-l-crdinaiid CéMne.

/iealli on ihe Inuallmeni Plan N I I P Í S O , Journev lo ihe End of ihe Nighi. N D P S 4 ,

J e a n C o c i e a u , The

Hiih

NDP2I2.

Teriors.

Th<- Infernal Machine- N D P 2 3 5 M . C o h é n . M:»,da, Rheloric. NDPÍS? R o h e r l ( o l e s , lron\ ihe Mind\ NDP459.

(."id C c i r t t i a n , Ijvingdung

Sun

Rock

Man.

NDP289.

NDP.HH

G r e g o r y C o r s o . Ffegiac

Happ\

NDP299

Feelings.

NDP86

of Dealh.

l^mg Man. NDPI27 R o b e n Cretkv.//(•//<> N D P 4 5 I .

NIJP4(1R

Ijiier

E d w a r d D a h i b e r g , Reader

Because

I Has

Flesh.

O s a m u D a / a i , TTti' Siiime

V o l.onger

Human

Flesh and Jahez.

Much

Roben

NDP357.

ihe

. NDP368.

NDP447.

NDP255

Bow.

The Opening of ihv Field NDP356. Roois and Branches. NDP275.

D u t e h " F i f l i e r s . " I.i\ing Space. NDP493. R i c h a r d F b c r h a r l . Sele<led Poems. NDPI9K

F . F E d m g e r , Mtiville't Mohi-Dick R u s s c l l E d s u f i , Tlie Falling Sicknes\. W n i E m p s o n , 7 Tvpes of Am/yiguii\.

\DP460, NDP389. NDP204

Some lersions of Pasioral. NDP92, W m . F . v e r s o n , Man-Faie. NnP3M, The Residual Years NDP263, L a w r e n c e F e r l i n g h e t i i , Her.

NDP88.

A Conei Island of ihe Mind. N n P 7 4 . i:ndle.ís Life. N D P S I f . . The Mexican Nighi NDPJOÜ. The Seirei Meaning of Things. N D P 2 6 8 . Siariing from San Franci.sco. N[)P220. Tyrannus S'ir'. N D P 2 8 8 . On/air Argumenis . . . NDP143

Who Are He .V(-« ' N D P 4 2 5 . R o n a i d K i r b a n k Five \ovels. NDP5I8. F S e o » E i t 7 g e r a l d , TTic Crack-up NDP54. R o b e n F i l / g e r a l d . Spring Shade NDP3II, C u s t a v í R a u b e n , Diciionan. NDP230.

G a n d h i , Oandhi

\on-\iolence.

G o e t h e . FauM. P a n I. % D P 7 0 . H e n f > G r e e n Back. NDP5I7

A l k n G r o s s m a n . Thr 0\-er Ihe Chicago John Hawkes.

The

Woman River

Beelle

leg.

NDPI97

on ihe

Bridge

NDP473.

NDP239.

The Blood Oranges NDP338. The Cannihal. NDPI23. Praih SIrep & The Traveíer NDP393, 7Ttí Innocem Parn. N I Í P 2 3 8 . The Ume Tv^ig. N D P 9 5 . The

Owl.

NDP443

The Berlín

von

Siories.

NDP480

Compiraiors.

SDPI34.

NDP42K M)P426

ROÍ. NDPIOS

Lhu

NDP390

Kleiu.

NI)P(.5.

Siddhariha

P h i h p p e J a c c o i t e l . Seediime. A K r e d J a r r j , The Supermale.

R o b i n s o n J e l T e r s , Cawdor and .Media. N D P 2 9 3 . J a m e s J o y c e , Siephen Hero. NDPI33.

James

JovceiFinnrgans

The Ancieni Rain. Solitudes Crowded

H. v o n K l e i s l , Prince

M)P4(.2 E l a i n c K t a f , The

NDP5I4, «.iih l.oneliness.

NDPI99,

NDPI(i7, NDP355.

FrieJnch

Pnncess

P. l . a l , Greal Sanskni

NDP33I.

Wake.

NDPI17.

H u g h K e n n e r , W\ndham Lewis. K e n y o n C r i l i c s , G. M. Hopkins.

Homhurg.

of 72nd Si.

Pkv.\.

NDPI42.

NDP494

L . a u t r c a m o n l , Maldoror. NnP207. I r v i n g l . a y t o n , Selected Poems. N D P 4 3 1 . D e n i s e l . e v e r i o v , CoUected Harlier. N D P 4 7 5 .

Footprints. NDP344. The Freeing of ihe Dusi. M ) P 4 0 I . The JacohS Udder. NDPI12. Tilr in the Foresi. NnP46l, The Poet in the World. N D P 3 6 3 . Relearning ihe Alphahel NDP290, TheSorrow Dance NDP222. To Siai- Alive. N n P 3 2 5

Garda

NDP258.

Oiioher

D u n c a n , Bi-nding

F . H c l b l m g , Heinrich

C . I s h e i w o o d , All ihe

Jovce.

NDP87.

L ¡ C h ' j n g - c h a o . Complete Poems E n r i q u e 1 i h n . The Dark Ruom.'

NDP227.

Too

C o l e m a n D o w e i i . Mrs.

NDP5I2.

To París.

H a r r y l . c v l n . James

NDP246

Sun

Roben

Poems

iii Tormeni. NDP476 Fgypi NDP3H0. Definiiion. NDP143 NDt'362.

F r a n / I t a f k a , Amenka. Bob Kaufman. N D P 4 n

NDP376.

Ijihor.

H . D „ End Helen in Hermeiic Trilogy.

H e r m a n n Hnst.

NDP7I,

Evil*

Ship.

Second Skin. N D P I 4 6 . Tra\-e.sly. N [ ) P 4 . 1 0 , A . H a y e s , A Wreaih af Chrisimas

I o r e a . The

Crickei

NDP492. NDP452.

NDP5()6.

Sings.*

Deep Song NDP503 Ftve Plavs. N D P 2 3 2 . Selened Poems • M ) P I I 4 Three Tragedles. NDP52

M i c h a e l M c C I u r e . Gorf

NDP41(>

Aniechamber N[)P4S5. Jaguar Skies M)P400 Josephme The Mouse Singer.

C a r s o n M c C u l l e r s . The

M)P496.

Memher

ihe

Wedding. ( P l a y s e r i p l l N D P r 5 3 . I h o m a s M c n o n . A.sian Journal. N DP394

Collecied Poems. \DP504. Gandhi on Non- Víolence Nr)P!97, \'ews .Seeds of Cimiemplaiion NDP337. Raid', on the Vn.\peakahle NnP2l3. Selected Poems NI)P85. The Wa\ Chuang T:u. N [ ) P 2 7 6 . The Wisdom of ihe Desert NDP295. /.en and ihe Birds of Appeliie. NDP26I. H c n r y M i l l e r , The Air-Conditioned Sighlmare. NDP302,

BigSurá The Oranges. NDPIhl. The Books in Mr l-ite NDP280. r i t e Co¡os.ius ol Maroussi. NDP75. The Cosmological E\e. N D P I 0 9 . Henrs Miller on Writing NDPISI The Henry Miller Reader. NDP269 Jusi Wild Ahout Harrw N D P 4 7 9 The Smile al ihe Fool of ihe ladder. NDP386. Stand Still-I.ike thr Humminghird. \6 The Time of the Asxassins M>PI l i . y. M i s h i m a , Con/esiions of a Mask NDP253. Dealh

in Mid\ummer

\DP2I5

E u g e n i o M o n i a l c . Ii ¡ieifnds* •VcH Pi^ms. NÜP4I0

Selected

Poems.*

NDPS07.

NDPt93.

V l a d i m i r N a b o k o v . .\ikolai

Oogol

NDP78

Laughter in the Park. NnP470. The Real Life of Sebastian Knighi. \. P. N e r u d a , The Capiam's Ierres.' NDP345. Re.tidence on Earth ' N D P 3 4 0

AVH

Directions

(Anthology).

A AfCfrv

Prose

A v a i l a b l e f r o m « 1 7 f o r w a r d . 1142. F a l l R o b e r t N i c h o l s , Arrivai NDP4,17.

1981.

txite N D P 4 K 5 . Garh CinNI)P4S0 Hardillsin Sawna. NDP4T0, C h a r l e s O h o n . Selecied Wríiinus. NnP23l. Toby OIson.

7 J j f Ufe

Nnp4l7.

Jesús.

( i e o r g e O p p e n , CoUected Poems. N I ) P 4 I K . W J l f r c d O w e n , CoUected Peoms. N I ) P 2 I 0 . N i c a n o r P a r r a , Emergencv Poems.* NDP333. Poems and Antipoems.* NDP242.

Borií Paiternak, Conduct. NDP77. K e n i K l h P a t c h e n . Aflame and Afun. NDP292.

Becau.ie li 1$ N D P 8 3 .

Oo. NDP265 Poems. NDP284,

But Even Collecied

NDP211.

DouMeheader.

Hallelujah An\wa\: NDP219, In Quesi of Candlelighters. NDP334.

A Drafl of Shadow.s.'' NnP4K9, Eagle or Sun''* NDP422. iMrly Poems* NDP354, Plays for a Sew Theater. ( A n l h . ) N D P 2 I 6 .

J A P o r t e r . Eelgra.ís. NDP438 E í T » P o u n d . ABC of Reading NDP89

Classic \oh Jheaire of Japan. NDP79. Confucius NDP2S5. Confuciu.y lo Cummings. (Anlh.) NDPI26, Gaudier Brzeska. NDP372. Cuide to Kulchur. NDP257. Liierary Ejsays. NDP2S0.

Poems of Ancieni

Pound/Jovce

Selected

Cantos.

Selected Selected

Uiiers Poems.

The

Spirit

NDPI78.

Egvpl.

NDP29fi.

NDP304.

Etercises m Slvíe. NDP5I3. The Sunday of Ufe. NDP433.

Treal

Women

Ton

Well

NDP515.

M a r y de R a c h e w i U / . E:ra Pound. NI>P4Ü5. M. R a n d a l l . Pan of ihe Soiuiion. NDP3S0. J o h n C r o w c R a n s o m . Beating the Bushes. NDP324. R a j a R a o , Kanihapura. NDP224. H e t b e n R e a d , TTif Green Child. NDP20g.

P R e v e r d y . Selected Poems.' NDP346. K e n n e t h R e x r o t h . Collecied Longer Poems. NI)PJ09

CoUected Shorier Poems. NDP243. The Morning Siar. N D P 4 9 0 . New Poems. N D P 3 8 3 .

m IIIO mi 100

More More Poems Poems

Poems Poems from from

R a i n c r M a r i a R i l k e . Poems

from

A r t h u r R i m b a u d , llluminations.'

Sea.u'n m Hell & Drunken

E d o u a r d R o d i t i . Delights

S e l d e n R o d m a n , Tongues

NI)P56

Boai *

M)P97.

Turkey.

NDP445.

fallen

Angeis.

NDP373.

J c r o m c R o t h e n b e r g , Foland/1931.

Pre-Faies. NDP5II, Séneca Journal. NDP448. Vienna Blood. NDP498. S a i g y o , * Mirror for ihe Moon. S a i k a k u I h a r a . The

Woman.

Ufe

NDP270.

tarih

NDP379.

House

Amorous

St, J o h n of the C r o s s . P o í m i . ' N D P 3 4 I . J e a t i - P a u l S a r t r e . Baudelaire. NDP233.

Lust.

NDP2Í.7.

Hold.

E n i d S t a r k i e , Rimhaud. NDP2S4. R o b e n S i e i n e r . Bathers. NDP495 S t e n d h a l . T í i r Telegraph. NDPIOS. J u l e s S u p e r v i e n e , Selected Writings.* Nathaniel Tarn,

Free

Lyrics

in ihe

Christmas

Collecied

Poems

The

Doctor

Poriraii

of ihe

ihe

NI)P3I6,

NDP297,

Devils.

Ariisi

Traite.

NDPISI,

Wales.

1934-1952.

and

NDP39I

God.

Skin

NDPI83.

A Child's

NDP209.

NDP35I.

Verse.

. . . Bride

l í y l a n T h o m a s , Adveniures

as a Young

Dog.

NDPSI

Quile Earli One Morning. NDP90. í nder Milk Wood NDP73,

L i o n e l TrLiling. E M Fonter. M a r t i n T u r n e l l . An of French

NDP3.16.

Baudelaire.

«1.1? ofthe

French

P a u l V a l é r y , Selected

NDPI89. Fiction. NDP2SI,

NI)P474.

Novel.

P. V a n O s t a i j e n , Feasis

Writings.*

Fear &

NDPI84.

Agony.

NI)P4I1,

i'iitorini

Messina.

NDP366,

Omnibus.

NDP365. Poems

NDP22I.

N a t h a n a e l W e s l . Miss Umehheans & Doy ofthe Uicusi. NDP12S. J . W i l l i a m s , .An Ear in Banram's Tree Tenncssee

W i l l i a m s , Camino

Real,

A [jively

Sunday for

Creve

NDP335.

NDP30I.

C o i on a Mol Tin Roof NDP398. Dragón Couniry. NDP287 The Gla.ss Menagerie. NDP2I8. Hard Candv. N D P 2 2 5 . In Ihe Winter of Cities. NDPIÍ4.

Coeur.

NDP497.

NDP237. NDPSOl.

One Arm & Other Stories. A Sireetcar Named Desire.

Youlh. N D P 4 0 9 . Wagons Full of Collón.

Sweet Birdof TwenivSe^-en

Tno-Characler Play. N D P 4 g 3 , Vieuf Carre. N D P 4 8 2 , Where I Live. SDP468

The The

NDP223.

NDP223. Daughiers.

Build^up. Farmers'

/ Wanied

N[)PI06.

Wriie a Poem.

Paterson.

Complete.

form

NDP469.

Imaginaiions. NDP329. In the American Grain. NDP53. In the .Money. N U P 2 4 0 , ifany lji\-e.v N Ü P I 9 1 ,

Pictures

NDP2I7.

Williams.

NDPI52.

Brueghel.

N D P I 18.

The Selected Estays. NDP273. Selected Poems. Ñ D P I 3 1 . A Voyage to Pagany. N D P 3 0 7 . White Mulé. N D P 2 2 6 . W C. Williams Reader. NDP282.

Y v o r W i n i e r s , £, A. Rohinson Nr)P326. W i s d o m B o o k s : Ancieni Egvpt\ans, NDP467,

£iir/i' Buddhists. NIJP46S.

NDP4S4.

Mvths and Tesis. NDP457 The Real Work. N D P 4 W . Regardmg Wave NDP306 Turile Island. N D P 3 8 1 .

TTif Auiobiographv.

The Book of Hours. NDP40B Possihilitv of Being. ( P o e m s ) . N D P 4 3 6 . H'here Silence Reigns. ( P r o s e ) . N D P 4 M

NDP241.

S i e v i e S m i l h . Selected Poems. NDPI59. C i a r y S n y d c r . The Back Countrv. NI>P249.

William Carlos

from the Chinese. NDP308. from ihe Japanese. NDP420. ihe Chinese. NDP192. ihe Japanese* NDPI47.

NnP4S3

V e r n o n W a t k i n s , Selecied

Translaiions.* (Enlarged Ediiion) N D P I 4 5 . J a m e s P u r d y . Children Is All NDP327. R a y m o n d Q u e n c a u . The Bark Tree NDP.1I4.

We Always

Sacred

Women

NDP.1I7,

NnP26*

of Romance.

Poems.

Begin Responsihihiies.

Ello Viitorini. A

1907-1941 NDP66.

NDP272.

K a / u k o S h i r a i s h i , Seaons

In Dreams

W , S u t l o n . American

Memoirs of a Shy Porniigrapher. Nr)P205 Selected Poems. NDPtftO. O c t a v i o PB7. Configuraiions.* NDP303.

üive

Sausea NDP82 The Wall (Intimacy).

D t i m o r e S c h w a r l / , Selecied

N n P 4 6 6 ; Eore.ii

N D P 4 4 4 ; English

(Hindú). N D P 4 I 4 ;

Mv.stics. Jewish

Mysiicy N D P 4 2 3 ; Spanish Mysiics. NDP442; Si. Francis. N D P 4 7 7 ; Sufi. N Í ) P 4 2 4 ; Taoisis. N D P S 0 9 ; Wisdom ofthe Deseri. N D P 2 9 5 ; ¿en Master.:/. N D P 4 1 5 ,

For complete listing requesl complete catalog from New Directions, 80 Eighth Avenue, New Y o r k lOOll

* Billnguil