iii. Revenge of the Underwater Man and Other Stories

The mule's foal,
the son of a Jew, the good soldier Svejk,
dead, in communist Prague,
steps under water 
through the house of blue mangoes,
leaving footsteps in the rain.
Interpreter 
of maladies
writes his notes on extinction.

"I am snowing

a universal theory of infamy,
the seven madmen - the man 
who stole the Mona Lisa,
musicians and watchmakers,
the real life of Eva Peron,
the gods, the little guys, and the police -
free to love.

One good death deserves another," 
and dreams are dreams.

ii. Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age

There was an old woman,
virgin of paradise, keeper of secrets,
with an excess of love…
A lady with a laptop
in a bachelor brother's Bed
and Breakfast, served 
by a company of swans,
and other paper birds,

a small bee's honey.

Who heard faraway drums - the love songs 
of Sappho, Angelique's descent, guided tours
of hell, and paper tangos danced 
in the crowded heart of an absent city.
Who knew what ownership's 
all about - how boys see girls
where the oceans meet in the hour 
of the star, the silver sword, the widow killer,
and fingers pointing somewhere else.

"A samba for Sherlock, lovers and murderers:
Charlotte, dance me outside

i. (Chronicle of the Seven Sorrows,
The Song of Six Birds, Vast Emotions
 and Imperfect Thoughts, Memories 
of Rain…Not in Our Stars)

the binding vine. Weave
a sweet, sweet basket."

Meditations on Gays and Lesbians 
(and their fortunes in the world war)

29Jan04

Except for a few connecting words, a very few, this found poem is composed entirely of the titles of books listed on this webpage/pdf file: http://www.middfestinternational.org/Library.pdf.