suffering the venus of
a poem by lou suSi
2
suffering the venus of
let uS compare our suffering
if your suffering is more than mine
i shalL weep & suffer for your deeper suffering
if your suffering is perfect more perfect than mine
i shalL moan & suffer for your perfect suffering
if your suffering iS a deserted steamship floating recklesS abandoned at thee mercy of thee mississippi floodwaters
enraged
then mine iS a decrepit kayaK beached on thee rivershore of a drunkened reservation on a cloudy evening
if your suffering is thee haunting howL of thee loOn then
mine iS thee song of the caged canary
if your suffering is a grand stone castle
mine suffering is thee moat which protects your suffering filled with blood & piSs & hungry crocodiles
if your suffering is a cemetery ...
then i walk thee grounds & water alL thee flowers i wash thee stones with a balmy rag i weep & kneeL at every willowed grave
if your suffering is a withered daffodiL
mine iS just a daisy
if your suffering is the pontius pilot
then i am thee good thief i am thee good thief
if your suffering is an archaic precious wind ...
23
mine is the earth & sea you gently touch & tap upon
25
if your suffering perhaps may bee bigger than
26
thee breadbox or larger than life itself ...
mine is thee bread
thee milk thee butterfly
30
if your suffering is a growling fierce volcano gurgling hot inside
then mine suffering iS a rabid city squirrel
if your suffering iS thee turbulent eventide pounding of 7000 horses set free on thee beach
then my suffering is thee same 7000 horses held quiet in nigh captivity
if your suffering is thee mighty niLe
mine is
36
the menstrual aching mississippi
if your suffering is a forest fire
my suffering is an unknown lugubrious woodland trickling brook
if your suffering is a ferris wheel a rollercoaster a tiltawhirl
41
mine is thee tunnel of love
if your suffering iS a cuckoo clock
mines the little bird
inside thee little door
46
if your suffering is thee christ on thee croSs
then mine bee thee wee innocent christchild stilL wet & meSsy frum thee womb
if you wear your suffering like crown like queen like king
49
i wear mine like ringworm on a beggar
52
if your suffering is a burning tree
my suffering iS thee pinecone dropped, surviving
if you suffer leSs than mee
then i suffer frum an abundanse of
suffering
if your suffering is a delicate sewn spidersweb
i am thee moth caught in its sticky fibres
if your suffering iS a calm clear laKe
61
i am looking at my reflection in thee water rippled with falling tears
64
if your suffering is a precious sparse shostakovitch
mine is an oskar kokoshka
67
if your suffering is a black seaswepttrunk filled with a soldiers things strong malignant
fingergripse of a longforgotten battle
then mine is merelee a decrepit white medicinecabinet filled with shaving lotion & dulL & rusty
razorbladeS
71
if yours is thee coo of 2 turtledoves then mine iS thee virginmary
if your suffering is a gameshow hostess
then mine is thee nightlee news at 9
if your suffering is a tumble headlong slowmotion down a spiral set of stairs
then mine is just walking up thee down escalator
if your suffering is a treehouse
then mine iS a wooly
ocean
wooden raft in thee untame
if your suffering iS eucalyptus
79
mine is peeled birchbark
if you suffer if you are
suffering then so am i
alL images & writing 1995 Š lou suSi printed by BijaXOuS suPpleMente preSs po box 1098 middleton, ma 01949 http://www.supplemente.org http://www.bijaxous.com