(stepp)this(ing)crazily seething of this
raving city screamingly street wonderful
flowers And o the Light thrown by Them opens
sharp holes in dark places paints eyes touches hands with newness
and these startled whats are a(piercing clothes thoughts kissing
wishes bodies)squirm-of-frightened shy are whichs small
its hungry for Is for Love Spring thirsty for happens
only and beautiful
there is a ragged beside the who limps
man crying silence upward
—to have tasted Beautiful to have known
Only to have smelled Happens—skip dance kids hop point at
red blue yellow violet white orange green-
ness
o what a proud dreamhorse moving(whose feet
almost walk air). now who stops. Smiles.he
stamps
44
Jehovah buried,Satan dead,
do fearers worship Much and Quick;
badness not being felt as bad,
itself thinks goodness what is meek;
obey says toc,submit says tic,
Eternity’s a Five Year Plan:
if Joy with Pain shall hang in hock
who dares to call himself a man?
go dreamless knaves on Shadows fed,
your Harry’s Tom,your Tom is Dick;
while Gadgets murder squawk and add,
the cult of Same is all the chic;
by instruments,both span and spic,
are justly measured Spic and Span:
to kiss the mike if Jew turn kike
who dares to call himself a man?
loudly for Truth have liars pled,
their heels for Freedom slaves will click;
where Boobs are holy,poets mad,
illustrious punks of Progress shriek;
when Souls are outlawed,Hearts are sick,
Hearts being sick,Minds nothing can:
if Hate’s a game and Love’s a φυϰ
who dares to call himself a man?
King Christ,this world is all aleak;
and lifepreservers there are none:
and waves which only He may walk
Who dares to call Himself a man.
45
this mind made war
being generous
this heart could dare)
unhearts can less
unminds must fear
because and why
what filth is here
unlives do cry
on him they shat
they shat encore
he laughed and spat
(this life could dare
freely to give
as gives a friend
not those who slave
unselves to lend
for hope of hope
must coo or boo
may strut or creep
ungenerous who
ape deftly aims
they dare not share)
such make their names
(this poet made war
whose naught and all
sun are and moon
come fair come foul
he goes alone
daring to dare
for joy of joy)
what stink is here
unpoets do cry
unfools unfree
undeaths who live
nor shall they be
and must they have
at him they fart
they fart full oft
(with mind with heart
he spat and laughed
with self with life
this poet arose
nor hate nor grief
can go where goes
this whyless soul
a loneliest road
who dares to stroll
almost this god
this surely dream
perhaps this ghost)
humbly and whom
for worst or best
(and proudly things
only which grow
and the rain’s wings
the birds of snow
things without name
beyond because
things over blame
things under praise
glad things or free
truly which live
always shall be
may never have)
do i salute
(by moon by sun
i deeply greet
this fool and man
46
love’s function is to fabricate unknownness
(known being wishless;but love,all of wishing)
though life’s lived wrongsideout,sameness chokes oneness
truth is confused with fact,fish boast of fishing
and men are caught by worms(love may not care
if time totters,light droops,all measures bend
nor marvel if a thought should weigh a star
—dreads dying least;and less,that death should end)
how lucky lovers are(whose selves abide
under whatever shall discovered be)
whose ignorant each breathing dares to hide
more than most fabulous wisdom fears to see
(who laugh and cry)who dream,create and kill
while the whole moves;and every part stands still:
47
death(having lost)put on his universe
and yawned:it looks like rain
(they’ve played for timelessness
with chips of when)
that’s yours;i guess
you’ll have to loan me pain
to take the hearse,
see you again.
Love(having found)wound up such pretty toys
as themselves could not know:
the earth tinily whirls;
while daisies grow
(and boys and girls
have whispered thus and so)
and girls with boys
to bed will go,
48
kind)
YM&WC
(of sort of)
A soursweet bedtime
-less un-
(wonderful)
story atrickling a
-rithmetic o-
ver me you & all those & that
“I may say professor”
asleep
wop “shapley
has compared the universe
to a
uh” pause
“Cookie
but” nonvisibly smi-
ling through man
-ufactured harmlessly accurate
gloom “I
think he might now be inclined to describe
it rather as
a” pause “uh”
cough
“Biscuit”
(& so on & so unto canned
swoonsong
came “I wish you good” the mechanical
dawn
“morning”)& that those you
i St
ep
into the not
merely immeasurable into
the mightily alive the
dear beautiful eternal night
49
(of Ever-Ever Land i speak
sweet morons gather roun’
who does not dare to stand or sit
may take it lying down)
down with the human soul
and anything else uncanned
for everyone carries canopeners
in Ever-Ever Land
(for Ever-Ever Land is a place
that’s as simple as simple can be
and was built that way on purpose
by simple people like we)
down with hell and heaven
and all the religious fuss
infinity pleased our parents
one inch looks good to us
(and Ever-Ever Land is a place
that’s measured and safe and known
where it�
��s lucky to be unlucky
and the hitler lies down with the cohn)
down above all with love
and everything perverse
or which makes some feel more better
when all ought to feel less worse
(but only sameness is normal
in Ever-Ever Land
for a bad cigar is a woman
but a gland is only a gland)
50
this little bride & groom are
standing)in a kind
of crown he dressed
in black candy she
veiled with candy white
carrying a bouquet of
pretend flowers this
candy crown with this candy
little bride & little
groom in it kind of stands on
a thin ring which stands on a much
less thin very much more
big & kinder of ring & which
kinder of stands on a
much more than very much
biggest & thickest & kindest
of ring & all one two three rings
are cake & everything is protected by
cellophane against anything(because
nothing really exists
51
my specialty is living said
a man(who could not earn his bread
because he would not sell his head)
squads right impatiently replied
two billion pubic lice inside
one pair of trousers(which had died)
52
if i
or anybody don’t
know where it her his
my next meal’s coming from
i say to hell with that
that doesn’t matter(and if
he she it or everybody gets a
bellyful without
lifting my finger i say to hell
with that i
say that doesn’t matter)but
if somebody
or you are beautiful or
deep or generous what
i say is
whistle that
sing that yell that spell
that out big(bigger than cosmic
rays war earthquakes famine or the ex
prince of whoses diving into
a whatses to rescue miss nobody’s
probably handbag)because i say that’s not
swell(get me)babe not(understand me)lousy
kid that’s something else my sweet(i feel that’s
true)
53
may my heart always be open to little
birds who are the secrets of living
whatever they sing is better than to know
and if men should not hear them men are old
may my mind stroll about hungry
and fearless and thirsty and supple
and even if it’s sunday may i be wrong
for whenever men are right they are not young
and may myself do nothing usefully
and love yourself so more than truly
there’s never been quite such a fool who could fail
pulling all the sky over him with one smile
54
you shall above all things be glad and young.
For if you’re young,whatever life you wear
it will become you;and if you are glad
whatever’s living will yourself become.
Girlboys may nothing more than boygirls need:
i can entirely her only love
whose any mystery makes every man’s
flesh put space on;and his mind take off time
that you should ever think, may god forbid
and(in his mercy)your true lover spare:
for that way knowledge lies,the foetal grave
called progress,and negation’s dead undoom.
I’d rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance
55
flotsam and jetsam
are gentlemen poeds
urseappeal netsam
our spinsters and coeds)
thoroughly bretish
they scout the inhuman
itarian fetish
that man isn’t wuman
vive the millenni
um three cheers for labor
give all things to enni
one bugger thy nabor
(neck and senecktie
are gentlemen ppoyds
even whose recktie
are covered by lloyd’s
56
spoke joe to jack
leave her alone
she’s not your gal
jack spoke to joe
’s left crashed
pal dropped
o god alice
yells but who shot
up grabbing had
by my throat me
give it him good
a bottle she
quick who stop damned
fall all we go spill
and chairs tables the ana
bitch whispers jill
mopping too bad
dear sh not yet
jesus what blood
darling 1 said
57
red-rag and pink-flag
blackshirt and brown
strut-mince and stink-brag
have all come to town
some like it shot
and some like it hung
and some like it in the twot
nine months young
58
proud of his scientific attitude
and liked the prince of wales wife wants to die
but the doctors won’t let her comma considers frood
whom he pronounces young mistaken and
cradles in rubbery one somewhat hand
the paper destinies of nations sic
item a bounceless period unshy
the empty house is full O Yes of guk
rooms daughter item son a woopsing queer
colon hobby photography never has plumbed
the heights of prowst but respects artists if
they are sincere proud of his scientif
ic attitude and liked the king of)hear
ye!the godless are the dull and the dull are the damned
59
a pretty a day
(and every fades)
is here and away
(but born are maids
to flower an hour
in all,all)
o yes to flower
until so blithe
a doer a wooer
some limber and lithe
some very fine mower
a tall;tall
some jerry so very
(and nellie and fan)
some handsomest harry
(and sally and nan
they tremble and cower
so pale:pale)
for betty was born
to never say nay
but lucy could learn
and lily could pray
and fewer were shyer
than doll. doll
60
as freedom is a breakfastfood
or truth can live with right and wrong
or molehills are from mountains made
—long enough and just so long
will being pay the rent of seem
and genius please the talentgang
and water most encourage flame
as hatracks into peachtrees grow
or hopes dance best on bald men’s hair
and every finger is a toe
and any courage is a fear
—long enough and just so long
will the impure think all things pure
and hornets wail by children stung
or as the seeing are the blind
and robins never welcome spring
nor flatfolk prove their world is round
nor dingsters die at break of dong
&n
bsp; and common’s rare and millstones float
—long enough and just so long
tomorrow will not be too late
worms are the words but joy’s the voice
down shall go which and up come who
breasts will be breasts thighs will be thighs
deeds cannot dream what dreams can do
—time is a tree(this life one leaf)
but love is the sky and i am for you
just so long and long enough
61
anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn’t he danced his did.
Women and men(both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain
children guessed(but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more
100 Selected Poems Page 4
