the asphalt was like a river.
bear with me: in the heat and on its sides
a large amount of tar had been pushed to the sidewalks
forming something like river banks.
there were several children
and they were all spoiled
in ways that reminded you of milk
and when you thought about them
you wanted to use the expression
"high time"
to the fullest extent allowed by law.
down the street was where we buried everything
or where everything was buried.
a compromise was reached
i woke up this morning and all we had was cold water
and on the radio someone was saying something
about all god’s children.
on my way home from work, i walked past the police station,
where nobody looked friendly. i kept walking.
i walked into the bar and sat down
next to my friend sally,
who said she had recently taken a part-time job as a coal miner.
she said she’d had to get a special haircut and everything.
i asked her how she had gotten a job like that
and she told me “carelessness.”
i asked her what it was like, and she said it was colder than expected.
she told me about these kids she’d known growing up
and that they were all spoiled
in ways that made you think of milk.
i had the feeling that a lot of what she’d said
was standing in for something else.
and on the radio someone was saying something
about all god’s children.
on my way home from work, i walked past the police station,
where nobody looked friendly. i kept walking.
i walked into the bar and sat down
next to my friend sally,
who said she had recently taken a part-time job as a coal miner.
she said she’d had to get a special haircut and everything.
i asked her how she had gotten a job like that
and she told me “carelessness.”
i asked her what it was like, and she said it was colder than expected.
she told me about these kids she’d known growing up
and that they were all spoiled
in ways that made you think of milk.
i had the feeling that a lot of what she’d said
was standing in for something else.
seven simple rules for living in hiding
i got to the party late and did so completely unnoticed.
this is what i told myself as i stood at the edge of the porch
near the stairs, and the cooler of beer.
so, obviously, i was shocked when he came up to me
and told me he was sorry for all he’d done
but that he hoped to remedy it soon.
he took a few steps away, and stared out at the crowded sky.
the sun was setting and i watched it through the branches.
then john found me. he asked if i’d ever met that man,
and i hadn’t. ever.
john told me it was said he lost his wife in a repair shop,
but that was a vague sort of answer, and i stood there
thinking about how the day i arrived
looked a lot like today.
jane came by and said we shouldn’t talk about these things,
that there were better things to talk about,
and that she was looking for an extra grill rack.
as i left, the apologist was inside, gazing at the thermostat
with an expression on his face i was hesitant to read.
this is what i told myself as i stood at the edge of the porch
near the stairs, and the cooler of beer.
so, obviously, i was shocked when he came up to me
and told me he was sorry for all he’d done
but that he hoped to remedy it soon.
he took a few steps away, and stared out at the crowded sky.
the sun was setting and i watched it through the branches.
then john found me. he asked if i’d ever met that man,
and i hadn’t. ever.
john told me it was said he lost his wife in a repair shop,
but that was a vague sort of answer, and i stood there
thinking about how the day i arrived
looked a lot like today.
jane came by and said we shouldn’t talk about these things,
that there were better things to talk about,
and that she was looking for an extra grill rack.
as i left, the apologist was inside, gazing at the thermostat
with an expression on his face i was hesitant to read.
a guide to the ghosts of lesser new england
time moved at a glacial pace.
they packed up their sorrows
and placed them in the trunk of the station wagon
because they were boring.
they stopped for coffee and
the sign outside ace hardware
advertised a need for self-improvement,
and everything was left over
from a time when everything was a metaphor.
they drove back home down route 22
where four deer lay napping on the 15th street off ramp.
when the rains came, they turned on the windshield wipers
and that was simply that.
they packed up their sorrows
and placed them in the trunk of the station wagon
because they were boring.
they stopped for coffee and
the sign outside ace hardware
advertised a need for self-improvement,
and everything was left over
from a time when everything was a metaphor.
they drove back home down route 22
where four deer lay napping on the 15th street off ramp.
when the rains came, they turned on the windshield wipers
and that was simply that.
things are different now
everyone planned on getting up with the sun
and as we stood in our bathrobes making coffee,
somehow we all knew it was a terrible day
to go to the grocery store.
before the flood,
nobody looked fondly
on the motorboat that you kept
on the street in front of your apartment.
nobody thought
to take polaroids of the glaciers
when they weren’t looking.
i have never felt as close to you
as i have these past days
sitting side by side
in lawn chairs on your roof.
turning your head to the left,
you can see two seagulls
charging head first
one at the other,
from a great distance.
and as we stood in our bathrobes making coffee,
somehow we all knew it was a terrible day
to go to the grocery store.
before the flood,
nobody looked fondly
on the motorboat that you kept
on the street in front of your apartment.
nobody thought
to take polaroids of the glaciers
when they weren’t looking.
i have never felt as close to you
as i have these past days
sitting side by side
in lawn chairs on your roof.
turning your head to the left,
you can see two seagulls
charging head first
one at the other,
from a great distance.
tonight we are going to talk about everything that has happened
there were several children, and they were all spoiled
in ways that made you think of milk
and when you looked at them,
you wanted to use the expression
"high time"
to the full extent allowed by law.
on the day that they drowned
the fourth goose in the fountain,
five pigeons flew in the sky.
they were canadian pigeons,
from a far away land,
and everyone knew
it was a terrible day
to go to the grocery store.
before the flood,
nobody appreciated
the motorboat that you kept in your parking space.
nobody thought to take polaroids of glaciers
when they weren’t looking.
the children bathed regularly
and, using geese as pillows
for rafts, floated idly
for days
as everyone in town gathered in the student union
for some pre-arranged purpose.
the children arrived late, dripping wet
and clutching the geese.
“tonight,” they said
“we are going to talk about everything that has happened.”
in ways that made you think of milk
and when you looked at them,
you wanted to use the expression
"high time"
to the full extent allowed by law.
on the day that they drowned
the fourth goose in the fountain,
five pigeons flew in the sky.
they were canadian pigeons,
from a far away land,
and everyone knew
it was a terrible day
to go to the grocery store.
before the flood,
nobody appreciated
the motorboat that you kept in your parking space.
nobody thought to take polaroids of glaciers
when they weren’t looking.
the children bathed regularly
and, using geese as pillows
for rafts, floated idly
for days
as everyone in town gathered in the student union
for some pre-arranged purpose.
the children arrived late, dripping wet
and clutching the geese.
“tonight,” they said
“we are going to talk about everything that has happened.”
the problem with glaciers
he was standing at the window
vigorously shaking the orange juice
to prevent settling, when he saw the glaciers
dead ahead.
there were several of them
moving very slowly
and just out of sight.
it was later, while folding the laundry
that he realized why a t shirt was called a t shirt.
as the radio went on about desalinization
out the window, from the far end of the block,
a little boy about 9 years old was approaching the glaciers
dragging behind him a wet/dry vacuum
and a million feet of extension cord.
everything in the room started to shift
three inches to the left.
and there was a terrible sound
like when an ice cube screams
in a glass of bourbon.
vigorously shaking the orange juice
to prevent settling, when he saw the glaciers
dead ahead.
there were several of them
moving very slowly
and just out of sight.
it was later, while folding the laundry
that he realized why a t shirt was called a t shirt.
as the radio went on about desalinization
out the window, from the far end of the block,
a little boy about 9 years old was approaching the glaciers
dragging behind him a wet/dry vacuum
and a million feet of extension cord.
everything in the room started to shift
three inches to the left.
and there was a terrible sound
like when an ice cube screams
in a glass of bourbon.
night attack!
everything was ready and everyone was waiting.
there were lights being lit in the windows
as people sat watching television
or doing that thing where flames shoot out of the pan while you cook.
when everyone in the building happened to use his or her dryer
at the same time, well
things got dark very quickly.
it was then that they made their move,
coming very quickly from the sea,
making a sound like leaves rustling
which was easy to confuse with the sound of the leaves
rustling in the wind
right outside the window.
there were lights being lit in the windows
as people sat watching television
or doing that thing where flames shoot out of the pan while you cook.
when everyone in the building happened to use his or her dryer
at the same time, well
things got dark very quickly.
it was then that they made their move,
coming very quickly from the sea,
making a sound like leaves rustling
which was easy to confuse with the sound of the leaves
rustling in the wind
right outside the window.
the astronauts
it was at last weeks dinner party
associated with a group called the book club
that i first saw the astronauts.
they were checking under everyone’s collars
“for expiration dates”
and everyone was either thrilled or offended
or had been drinking.
someone mentioned something
about how they’d met down at cape kennedy
and how all of their wives were gone
and now they were off searching for
but then their collar was inspected
and i never got to learn.
then jane came by and said we shouldn’t talk about these things,
that there were better things to talk about,
and that she was looking for an extra grill rack.
that night in bed, i thought about the astronauts
spending their whole lives out in space
searching for a place where they can really just be alone
or studying how long man can survive on ice cream alone
and making other such contributions to science.
associated with a group called the book club
that i first saw the astronauts.
they were checking under everyone’s collars
“for expiration dates”
and everyone was either thrilled or offended
or had been drinking.
someone mentioned something
about how they’d met down at cape kennedy
and how all of their wives were gone
and now they were off searching for
but then their collar was inspected
and i never got to learn.
then jane came by and said we shouldn’t talk about these things,
that there were better things to talk about,
and that she was looking for an extra grill rack.
that night in bed, i thought about the astronauts
spending their whole lives out in space
searching for a place where they can really just be alone
or studying how long man can survive on ice cream alone
and making other such contributions to science.
wash me thoroughly of my iniquities
he called up anna and said
“might drive down to the sea.
have some fun
under the pier,
like we used to do.”
she said “i have never been to the pier
and certainly not with you.”
“so you won’t go then.”
“i didn’t say that.
but no. i already made plans for today.”
he went down there alone, where it stood
like a monument.
the sand was reclaiming the beach front property,
the waves broke softly,
off in the distance, something that looked
like a giant erector set
loomed.
later that night while under the pier
he watched the dark outlines
of two grown men with their shoes on
falling down
simultaneously
into the sea.
“might drive down to the sea.
have some fun
under the pier,
like we used to do.”
she said “i have never been to the pier
and certainly not with you.”
“so you won’t go then.”
“i didn’t say that.
but no. i already made plans for today.”
he went down there alone, where it stood
like a monument.
the sand was reclaiming the beach front property,
the waves broke softly,
off in the distance, something that looked
like a giant erector set
loomed.
later that night while under the pier
he watched the dark outlines
of two grown men with their shoes on
falling down
simultaneously
into the sea.
beware of my temper and the dog that i found
a man fell down a well,
one of those brick circles about two feet off the ground
and broke either every bone in his body
or both of his legs
and began to holler.
it sounded like he really believed
that the sounds in his voice
could wrench him up and out of the well
he was the sort of man who neither rents nor owns.
one of those brick circles about two feet off the ground
and broke either every bone in his body
or both of his legs
and began to holler.
it sounded like he really believed
that the sounds in his voice
could wrench him up and out of the well
he was the sort of man who neither rents nor owns.
at that exact moment
everyone sat around in the room,
listening to the thunder clap
on a portable stereo
with a plastic handle while
out the window and behind another
a woman
turned a very bright light
on and off.
outside, what she saw as stars,
he saw as several low flying planes
while certain people standing around
assumed they were part of some sort of backdrop
from a time when everything seemed irrefutable.
someone named tim was using call waiting
in a small town out there in the wide world
for something other than its intended purpose.
as the sun went down somewhere in arkansas
it came up near one of the washingtons,
and everyone assumed the strength of a mother whose child was in danger
because that is exactly what they were.
listening to the thunder clap
on a portable stereo
with a plastic handle while
out the window and behind another
a woman
turned a very bright light
on and off.
outside, what she saw as stars,
he saw as several low flying planes
while certain people standing around
assumed they were part of some sort of backdrop
from a time when everything seemed irrefutable.
someone named tim was using call waiting
in a small town out there in the wide world
for something other than its intended purpose.
as the sun went down somewhere in arkansas
it came up near one of the washingtons,
and everyone assumed the strength of a mother whose child was in danger
because that is exactly what they were.
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