(This City (this city this time) FIRE dear sir, I want to tell you madame, I want to tell you FIRE curious one your fingers tremble across space fumble at the latch of the orphanage the asylum the nunnery the hospital the rescue mission the home for unwed mothers open the door to see FIRE gnaw floors walls ceilings paintings of blue lakes of puritan fathers of mountains w/moon above them turn brown, then black, ride like ravens on shimmering air. FIRE the mind's horse & pack- mule clattering over rocks away from the conflagration toward oxidation of irons neon rings the spontaneous combustion of all things not related to the journey. child I have something to tell you: WE BURN the tower clock is burning the tower is a flame finger pointing up at forever we can see it from here we can see the oily smoke as it rises from your body twitching among the flames can see your body's special dance hear the music it makes hiss. hiss. FIRE I am not these arms give these arms to the flames I am not these eyes pluck them out, throw them in I am not this blood-pump called heart I give it to you FIRE nor this face, nor these bones. lock me in the iron bull stoke the furnace I want to make music. (brittle giant fallen to earth from sun) FIRE lick clean the pages of books-- Hitler knew your strong jaws break history flaming missiles strike the bunker walls we wait inside hands over eyes "will it hurt?" yes! coals scream. Bruno sings: "we are your puppets "FIRE, be gentle w/us "I have a wife "& kids somewhere "& am an American "citizen. let my hands "remain free, tie "my waist to the stake "I wish to signal "thru smoke "an alphabet "for the new age "a monstrous poem "that will twist like a tapeworm "among the stars." The FIRE-eater never grows fat. is walking dialectic-- a man w/ideas he says: "I carry matches beneath "my coat & a bottle "of gasoline--wish to talk "to monks, visit all "museums & rest homes "& colleges "will pit my red Jack "Johnson resurrected "against all challengers." FIRE I love you open your legs bite my lips FIRE you beat me & I'll beat you o.k? FIRE ride a single wheel down- hill into a lake. Buddha receives you. black flames cool to touch where Dante wandered curious flames hidden in Bodhisattva's robes living flames Pascal saw above the heads of the blessed or the damned FIRE you are the elephant of elements your blue tongue laps my chin you make me smash my typewriter threaten my landlord w/a butcher knife. a reflection of a reflection I burn above sour weeds I ask your permission to melt this clock of lard step forth star-brained FIRE no more yin no more yang no more weeping about an old woman wrapped in clay it's one ragged foot before the other up a ladder of steam. once you visited our barn rode the backs of horses like a regular guy baked sheep in their own wool rolled dogs snarling down a hill into a stream clogged w/manure you knocked down the walls w/glowing hammers then rubbed your fingers thru ashes & touched my forehead: my skull was a circus tent collapsing on 500 screaming people FIRE if you hold your breath you'll go out if I hold my temper the world will turn to ice if your leap over a stick the world will be a wedding I have nothing to lose & everything to gain I will storm the kingdom of FIRE & usurp the thrones of Pre-Adamic kings. from my ashes grow 3 trees from these trees grow 6 vines from these vines 9 berries grow 9 birds eat them from their flesh sprouts a single man who floats from a luminous cord his face a quarter moon his eyes--2 clocks that read: 12 noon & 12 midnight his hands are flickering gauges he walks behind a plow & speaks in parables says: "if FIRE were a "bird "where would FIRE "fly? "if FIRE were a "cobra "would she strike "the wild ass? "if FIRE were a "fish "how long would "she live "in the ocean "& how many clouds "would she set "in the sky? "& how many stars "would be born "from those glittering "clouds?" FIRE: shroud of matter FIRE: intelligence of the butcher of dogs. everything becomes FIRE: rhyming FIRE flex your muscles rage thru forests leap from the tops of mountains O lightning rattle a burning chain on the wind so the serpent twists down museum walls eat a masterpiece for me red god put the spark back in Roth Co. & Mother'd Well toe dance in Carnegie Hall. yes & your house is on FIRE, mister, yes & your brain is on FIRE, bub, yes & your lungs heave & your guts burn but that's swell FIRE yowsah FIRE halleuja FIRE amen FIRE you catch up w/all dadas & mummies in time. have I forgotten anything? the sun is one foot wide.      Back | Next