I visit at lunchtime
when no one's available
What does that mean?
That everyone else
either has an interesting lunch partner
or something very exciting
to do on break
like answer long and romantic
text messages, or listen to short
and seductive voice mail
and answer it too
buy, sell, and trade on WallStreet
or book the next flight to Hawaii
or Dallas. Let's see, there's nothing left
is there? And what does all that
say about me? It says either
you have no life, Chica
or be glad your life is plain and simple.
when I think of Jewish culture
I first think way back in Old Testament days
--lots of rocks
not stones casted
but flying through the air
when I think of a Jewish person now
I think of Hitler and burning bodies
and I'm always very sad
then I think of a face speaking wisdom
some kind of cool hat
with an old school black coat
and curly cues for sideburns
next I think of New York
with groups of them living in alleys
(which is probably not true,
they probably have nice homes)
my Optometrist is a Jewish man
he wears one of those neat little round caps
that fits close to his head
he loves to talk about Jewish religion
we always philosophize belief-systems
he's never dogmatic
but very kind and open-minded
I never think about people
who are stingy with money
or about a nation of people
who deserve to be extracted
This is one time
I like my way of thinking
except for the 'Hitler' part
and he doesn't deserve
quotes ' ' either
she wears a padded bra
one size too big
but it works--
she'd rather wear
a white, thin flat one
but her clothes fit better
her waist is trim enough
a line curves
and leads a man
straight to her rounded
bottom shaped like
an upside down heart
she should've been born
with Orphan Annie red curls
instead of hair
mousey and bland
my brother says
women who are
intellectual geeks
aren't his type
looking out at him
through squinted eyes
and my lips pursed,
sarcastic words come out
the left side of my mouth
I tell him I don't think
men like intellectual
geeks at all
is like
bridesmaid dresses
to single women
is like
only his lover there
to a slain soldier
is like
lark and sparrow's coo
to winter's grey
driving home
falling down asleep
falling down
waking up alone
envious ears hear recorded whales
on a wrinkled bed in an empty house
weary of a silent world, she listens
the soft blanket beneath her discomfits
she looks at warm faces on the wall
and like a rain shower, she cries
Dear Angelo,
It's so nice to finally meet you
after all our years of correspondence.
I thought you'd never make it here
but you did, and now it's my job
to prepare you for the days ahead.
We've much work to do.
Today I'd like you to carry me
in your shirt pocket (if you don't
have one, pants pocket will do)
and allow me to see
how you travel through your day.
I won't have the pleasure
of seeing you fall out of bed
and stumble to the bathroom,
but if you dress very quickly,
I'll make myself comfortable
in the twinkling of an eye.
Will you have coffee and read
the newspaper or will you grab
a hat and coat and go out
the door? These are the things
I need to know. I must warn you.
Training may be necessary
to acclimate you to this way of life.
I'll be looking for your blacks
and your whites. Do you have
any? Or are most of your ideas
gray, or that ugly color humans
call eggshell? A few ideas dancing
and tumbling over one another
is one thing. But to have no
black and whites at all -- well,
at our very best, we'll need
to do some refurbishing.
It's my solemn promise not to touch
your philosophies. I only wish to
teach you wise separation.
Write me if you wish, Angelo.
After all, this has been our only
course of speech for decades.
As I travel in your pocket, know
that it's right for me to be here,
and that it's never wrong
to ask for guidance.
Yours always,
one who vies for the soundness
of your soul,
Angeline
another afterreading
'The Screwtape Letters'
by C.S. Lewis
My Dearest Angelo,
You've done well and learnt all your lessons. 'Tis time now to teach you a little about spiritual direction. It's so very different here.
Here there is a battle in the air constantly. Disengaging voices will try to convince you all the very worst will happen to you. They'll do so in such a way as to manipulate your enjoyment of today to worry of tomorrow.
The key to this element of emotional disaster is to focus on what you're doing, not where you're going soon, or where you'll be.
You will learn that here simplicity rules the game.
Saying thus, I'll let you study the above and apply it to your daily skills. You'll need it shortly.
Sincerely,
your adoring Angeline
just for one fleeting night
he dreams a dream
in which the dream wears
no contraceptive
he did it out of rebellion
to the strange man
in the blue baseball cap
who isn't throwing
little round white balls
with seams in them
but is throwing
superlative android
cycle circles
he makes out of paper mache
printed images of himself
wearing goatee and moustache
with seven curly cues
to advise him when he's in
the clunker business or
when he throws a strike
strikes abound but tom t
wonders why he doesn't
send a dream full of goats
instead he sends him monkeys
in flocks with wings
hearts protruding and beating
with stickpins and more paper mache
printouts of himself and his
unprotected rhymster-hands
the brain under the blue cap
does and says what he wishes
and writes it too
while those in the gallery
wear question marks
upon unprotected heads
and tom-t has more than anyone
because after all
this is his unprotected dream
"I have no intention of explaining how the correspondence which I now offer to the public fell into my hands....The sort of script which is used...can be very easily obtained by anyone who has learned the knack...."~C.S.Lewis
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