If I have wandered around
this city’s broken sidewalks,
pothole-ridden roads, too crowded
this city’s broken sidewalks,
pothole-ridden roads, too crowded
to notice another memory-heavy
somnambulist, it is because, I see
somnambulist, it is because, I see
no glory in being ache-chiseled
into an immaculate alphabet.
into an immaculate alphabet.
The lengthening shadows of the hawk
on the lamp-post, the murky water
that fills the rust-heavy bucket
on the lamp-post, the murky water
that fills the rust-heavy bucket
of the street urchin – any effort
to whip-open the stench
of his unwashed hair
to whip-open the stench
of his unwashed hair
with a kohl eye, will produce nothing
but memories of immediate trespass —
but memories of immediate trespass —
this city’s specters quiver
in the unread lines of an obscure poet.
in the unread lines of an obscure poet.
The misfortunes that only obsolescence
can avoid, leaving intact
can avoid, leaving intact
the blade between one’s teeth.
The erratic chorus of several hands
dragging the paint-brush
along the city’s walls – how
dragging the paint-brush
along the city’s walls – how
new poems are born
tearing the tongue out of the tiger’s mouth.
tearing the tongue out of the tiger’s mouth.
The clamor that inevitably follows
the sound of writing poems
the sound of writing poems
in unison–
the distinguished obscurity
of the prison-yard, the emptiness
of the prison-yard, the emptiness
of the emaciated brown
that inevitably follows the vernal scarlet –
that inevitably follows the vernal scarlet –
in order to render in any memorized
form this landscape of hollow eyeholes, I
must first chronicle the serenity of this obsolescence.
form this landscape of hollow eyeholes, I
must first chronicle the serenity of this obsolescence.
If I have looked for the odor
of this city’s riots in the lines
of obscure poets, it is because,
of this city’s riots in the lines
of obscure poets, it is because,
I see no glory in being the thread
that holds this book’s spine together.
that holds this book’s spine together.