paperback disaster
comic book seeker
comic book seeker
rolled past a parade down the street,
rolled past a parade down the street,
folding his wings of paper
folding his wings of paper
ears stuffed full of dollar bills:
ears stuffed full of dollar bills:
what’s up?
what’s up?
what’s cop?
what’s cop?
with all corners dotted with free-for-all stop signs,
with all corners dotted with free-for-all stop signs,
who notices any movement?
who notices any movement?
tell what’s left of Arizona-city jukeboxes,
tell what’s left of Arizona-city jukeboxes,
whistling gold mine blues
whistling gold mine blues
out-an-out nickel for a play
out-an-out nickel for a play
natural-born digster
natural-born digster
(can you feel it) somewhere nearby
(can you feel it) somewhere nearby
army headquarters
army headquarters
(where love is born)
(where love is born)
grow delinquent of guards,
grow delinquent of guards,
everyone a seaman
everyone a seaman
shipping out for the Bay
shipping out for the Bay
remember the defense practice drill
remember the defense practice drill
where the enlisted had to sit on their hands a full forty minutes,
where the enlisted had to sit on their hands a full forty minutes,
see if the young natural-born citizen could endure claustrophobia?
see if the young natural-born citizen could endure claustrophobia?
a kind of accepted exercise,
a kind of accepted exercise,
this makeshifting for exhibition-
this makeshifting for exhibition-
and all the time someone else's
and all the time someone else's
close up,
close up,
bookstore fronts jangle with dry hair
bookstore fronts jangle with dry hair
soused by electric guitars out of place.
soused by electric guitars out of place.
is this some brand of, excuse me, cosmic explosion,
is this some brand of, excuse me, cosmic explosion,
turning wars into children’s games
turning wars into children’s games
bathtub suds into river-box rocks?
bathtub suds into river-box rocks?
meanwhile, a miner's tune harps up and down
meanwhile, a miner's tune harps up and down
echoing along Huachuca silver laden hills,
echoing along Huachuca silver laden hills,
notes heading for the underpass
notes heading for the underpass
then to sleep soundly in donkey baseball parks
then to sleep soundly in donkey baseball parks
and voices harmonize from high risin zipped up hip-huggin boots
and voices harmonize from high risin zipped up hip-huggin boots
nailed to the knees
nailed to the knees
saturated near crystal,
saturated near crystal,
set up like the west,
set up like the west,
tanned bottomed naked baby children
tanned bottomed naked baby children
get their lullabies free here
get their lullabies free here
delivered on demand, snap
delivered on demand, snap
yes, all the anguish and exhaustion has at last been melted to drink.
yes, all the anguish and exhaustion has at last been melted to drink.
pitchers now fling quarters instead of a good fastball once in a while.
pitchers now fling quarters instead of a good fastball once in a while.
and these rivers can only be manhole covers for our minds,
and these rivers can only be manhole covers for our minds,
we call them whitewater
we call them whitewater
when we really mean poison marguerites
when we really mean poison marguerites
behind these bars
behind these bars
bands tune up in recycled garbage pails
bands tune up in recycled garbage pails
this time no dress rehearsal
this time no dress rehearsal
because down those cactus alleyways it is understood:
because down those cactus alleyways it is understood:
the desert eats anything
the desert eats anything
that would stop and stare at it for too long a time
that would stop and stare at it for too long a time
9/16/73
Tucson
