FOR LARRY CHINNERY (d. 2006)
Too many friends too many friends
To weep for.
You, Larry, another.
Caught in your gaze I always
Felt the deep intelligence that
Drove you, and the laughter:
"Brilliance"
In all its meanings.
Friend,
I’m sorry I will not see you again
You were a strong man
And lived longer than anyone expected
But all strength shatters
Even a Navy SEAL’s-and
Death (you goddamn son of a bitch)
You caught a good one
This time.
*
FOR M.M.
Your sadness touches me
More than the joy of morning
(Your sadness which is like a cloak
Covering you as you sleep)
More than the joy of morning…
It tells me of the sorrow
That fell on you like rain
This year, or like the sudden hearing
Of a new, exquisite song
Which will not let you forget
Its changing Melody
(Which always means sorrow)
It is your mourning song
Which goes on into night
(Which I would change to morning)
*
FOR DARIA, WHO IS 13
A bull named Noble
Had a cow named Feeble
But Feeble was too feeble
And not noble enough for Noble
So he went in search of
Another cow
He met a cow named Able
This is for me, he thought
Are you Profit Able
Or Verit Able
Or perhaps Comfort Able?
I’m Barely Able,
Said Barely Able,
Who are you?
I’m Noble, said Noble
You’re no bull? said Barely
Well then, you’re not the mate for me!
So she trotted away, waving her tail at the flies
And ignoring his attempts to explain his name
Noble just stood there, feeling ignoble.
No bull.
*
GENIUS HAS A BIRTHDAY
for Jake Berry
gets up, yawns, has apocalyptic vision
dang! not another one of those
has cup of coffee and donut which are immediately
transmuted into absinthe with madeleine chaser
has vision of entire youth
his own and a few other people's too
dons shirt and jeans
writes poem based on apocalyptic vision
writes song based on poem
envisions performance piece based on poem/song
videotapes self performing piece
along with short, intensely allegorical dance
has another cup of absinthe
(absinthe, he thinks, makes the heart grow fonder)
makes love to Everybody
(receives birthday card-and THANKS-from Everybody)
*
fan turning (are you waking?)
fa ntur
ning (is it morning where you are?)
fan turns
phantom fare (are you thinking of me?)
(pantoum!)
turns
fan t (as I’m thinking of you?)
asy
man (a woman waking)
easy
fan t (an erotic)
urns
fan
turns (fantasy!)
Jack Foley has published books of poetry and criticism. His
radio show, Cover to Cover, is heard every Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. on Berkeley
station KPFA and is available at the KPFA web site; his column, "Foley's
Books," appears in the online magazine, The Alsop Review. |
