August 26-September 1, 2013: KG Newman and R.M. Engelhardt

Bearing

I. TRANSLATION OF DUGOUT BODY LANGUAGE

That tall lanky guy
sitting in the corner away from everyone
isn’t some glorified ball boy,
he’s a pitcher
seven innings into a no-hitter.
Which is to say, none of his teammates
want to take the blame
for six straight outs
he might not get.

II. BODY LANGUAGE AT A BAR SCENE

That tall lanky guy
among the bunch of drunks
sipping water and not saying shit
can’t be trusted—never put faith
in a teetotaler at a watering hole.
Which is to say, when a woman happens by
asking if the stool beside is taken,
he simply shakes no.
Why so shy, she says.
I’m not shy, he replies. I’m sober.

III. BAR EXAM SEEN FROM AFAR

That tall lanky guy
hunched over the desk
and dripping sweat like he didn’t study
really has something else on his mind.
Which is to say, when you’ve prepared
your entire life for one moment,
some men just want to wipe the sweat off their chins
in the middle of the outing
and have themselves a beer.

Epitaph

Epitaph for,

The lost poem
Which contained

Everything
And nothing.

Touched everyone, anyone
Who desired

The mystery of mysteries
Words of words, which brought forth

Language

Both blessed & cursed us
Married us, buried us and parted

The heavens and the
Deep blue seas

Made Houdini disappear
And broke the sole of
Khrushchev’s soul

Shot Kennedy
And then shot a rocket

To the moon

Sold us, indiscriminate
Commanded us to war and glory
And holocaust – unimagined imagination
The scavengers & architects, history
Fighting for space apocalyptic
Down on Wall Street and in the Silicone Valley

Stages of poetry and stages
Of time living, breathing & dying
On the battlefields

Of life.

The Poem,

Too early

Too late

Too bad

The lost poem
Which contained
Nothing and everything
Everything and nothing

At all.

You left it home on the
Kitchen table where your children
Drew on it
In crayon

It is just as well.