Civilian
Treatment
of my first time out in plainclothes
Still
at attention, more toward a window
Than
a drawer, rendezvous with the middle
Steps
with bad footing
For
coinage, costs closing in
Making
good on promise on arrival
Arrangement
argument
Skin
specific of networks
Stood
up as flaxen reeds
To
a tied together meal
Leaves
gobbled
Why
wait amazed at people
Never
arriving to see them?
When
on that current of drowning
Or
desperately saved, will standard operations
Begin
again? I must see to this business
You
may give me one penny to do so
Reel
ends flapping, people depart theater
Quick
to tuck their skin back in
To
wait for limousines
Far
away seems impossible
Scratching
your no-name knees
Distantly
lie on a bed
To
be tickled
Evacuation
I’ll
talk, I’ll talk
We
live by the sea
Evacuate
by land
Friends
appear ass-backwards
In
the corridor
Think
this is a joke? Stocks are
Down,
ruminants run free
We’ll
all be fed something
Pre-chewed
And
no buildings will remain standing
The
weeks will wisely go by
Before
our assembled husks are shook
By
sudden rainwater
We
are heading south
On
lumpy terrain
We’ve
stuffed our pockets
With
produce past its prime
To
swallow would be to retard our progress
Wipe
out our ETA
Groundwater
is property
Man Dying
Ahem
thank you I love this bed
I
want to lie in it and look out
My
childhood window
And
there’s my seventh dog wagging
It’s
my smell she smells
What
you told my face was right
It’s
the moon that wakes you up
And
gets you going, not you
Or
maybe I’ll take your face outside
With
my blanket and tent
And
memorize it
After
that you could leave but I won’t say I’m sorry
But
anyway you’re not included
In
this thing like my knees are
Like
mountains in bed
As
blue as a blanket
My
sister knows just enough of me to talk to
So
I listen
I
have a timer it’s buzzing
Have
you noticed my birthday only lasts a few days
I
received a card from an insurance agent
Thanks
but I have plenty of horse sense
Little
plasticine horses that live on the bookshelf
Just
in case I get sick (no prognosis)
But
gnaw on this donkey bone
The
blood moves to a catchment
First
lunch
I
love peanut butter and honey
But
what about almond butter and mixed pickles—
Have
you even thought of that?
On
white bread naturally
Before
you stop breathing
Race
you to your stomach
Regency
Preparing
for a great comradeship
Or
being pushed into it
Hot
sand
Hot
peppers for dinner
Night
and day
Many
opportunities on the front lawn
Lakes
filling up with water
Terrible
fear of quicksand or sandstorm
Fear
of sleep
As
much as anything
Moving
further down the beach
Pushing
all the sand to one side
Got
you first prize
A
crown of hot peppers
Making
you a regent
Excellency
Comrade
What
of our friendship?
Yes,
Thomas
We’ll
always be friends
Let’s
invite those who have already eaten
To
dinner
Nothing
can stop us now
Wind of It
What’s
in a computer?
People
are developing around me
They
must be confronted and stopped
Same
here
Listening
is the problem
Oh,
sure, there’s always the courthouse
Why
don’t they stick me in there?
I
am without peer
Murderwise
If
it’s a case of what I do or don’t say
It’s
already on Broadway
New
Haven at least
Or
just tryouts somewhere
You’re
invited, so are they
Personal
and civic functions not far apart
Unity
of place!
Everyone
comes from somewhere to here
You
are one who knows
On
your own with a megaphone
It’s
time you moved over
What
not to touch in the room
Paper,
lamps, me
General
public line up here
Tell
me about the places you’ve been
Other
than the airport
I’ve
been there too
So
long ago
And
I’m there now
Good
for you, Louie
Thanks
for asking how I’m doing
What
else did you want to know?
