Friday, September 6, 2013

REVISION TIME ; CLEANING THE BOTTOM DRAWER

Some of you will perhaps be old enough to remember Burma Shave roadside signs.

                 

   Roadside Requiem

   Here lies the body
   of Harry Chaplin.
   The tree has fallen

   that once, as a sapling,
   went on a hay ride
   with Rudy Arness.

   Didn't he notice
   when she lifted her dress?
   Sign follows sign

   each marking a year.
   Each telling how Harry
   didn't make out here.

   Don't worry, Harry,
   limp in your grave.
   They all forgive you —

   BURMA SHAVE!


(and, generated by a news story about accidents on a French highway..)



Flicker Fusion Frequency

Sun  through  leaves  if the leaves  if  the  breeze
would   blow   there  might  be  meaning Sun  on   water sandy  bottom  flickering Heart  
beats  under the body's  weight  eight  standard   leads  octopus  out
There  is  a  pattern on the screen.
The  cerebrum  intervenes

Someone is saying it softly over and over 
the heart beating beneath the bodies weight
sunlight stammering through the leaves
eight standard leads octopus out
spider tight
center line in the highway flashingπ headlights    

Light reflected from poplar trees planted
with such care precisely apart
my flicker fusion frequency  crashing me
the prisoner after torture saying  yes  yes  yes
sunlight endlessly
stammering through the leaves stammering
I didn't mean  mean   mean    mean

Forget  forget  forget  the train wheels say
climbing
forgive  forgive  forgive they say
descending

Planted so precisely the poplar tree trunks flashing
flashing  binding   blinding     bound
by eight wires why
don't I think of you
as I'm dying? Please
be a tree   a tree    your leaves   shimmering


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