Alan Kleiman
New York, USA
Thirty three days ago Wait, stop, listen You won’t believe Bartholome’s son
Knocked on my door asking Help me for I have sinned. Don’t ask directions
Ask what love is about Don’t ask for songs
Ask what words are about Don’t cry me a river
Row to Europe Find Emily
And call the earth good morning.
Then one day After people heard About tombstones They left the shack
Ate pasta in the streets And said
There’s no bones but an old dog’s. Don’t resurrect
Josephus in my living room We have no space
For the past
Put the future someplace else Redact the letters that make words Too intelligible
Masses have rights to read To sing to dance to bowl Every alley is open
To Jurassic members Of our club
Won’t you pay your dues In the black box there And push open the door To the new world
Where Sayonara means hello And where Sukiyaki means
How do you like my neighbor’s wife’s legs? We need parallel universes
To escape into ourselves The jackets we wear
With the label of our name Sewn into the lining Anchor too deeply.
Why “out of sight out of mind” Allows existing
Is a puzzle for the ages But is no one’s quest. Dumb lucky
We find parallel hotel rooms Where life lives
In fantasy so real The border shifts
To Ha! I am alive again.
But who is I am alive again? Call me Jack for today
And John tomorrow Edith the next
And Mary Joe on Friday.
Perhaps I will retire now Into the boudoir
Who will I find there
Or who will I bring with me To dine there
Sophie from the office? Gertrude from the bookstore? Or Melissa from the book itself Alive in the book of names?
Tomorrow I have no intention Of stopping anywhere.
I will visit
But I will not stay Not to be besotted For your pleasure
And the experience of loving Loving what passes as sop Soup is nicer to say
Forgive reflections that Reek of jealousy and rage
Impolite to our guests, our hosts
And the whole cubist crowd. The Emperor’s clothes Don’t fit anymore
Record player’s spinning Slows to a crawl,
A drawl current sounds Can’t recall.
Records don’t wind to a stop Itunes just end
Like tomorrow And today
And all time immemorial.