Upon Waking

I'll lie naked with you
reading Finnegan's Wake,

we'll  fuck pretentiously
as the late afternoon sun
devours the dying embers
of your body,

there'll be quiet in all directions
the streets empty containers

a feeling like the void
where there should be none,

afterwards
I'll drink coffee
by the cold window
my hand on the glass
feeling the bitter air
on my palm, the warmth
of the heat on my body,

the world is through with
being poor, I am through
trying to be anything but,

I'll wear long johns
and a t-shirt, you'll look at me
with sad, tired sonorous eyes,

leftovers will be hardening
on the table, drying out
becoming impossible to clean,

I'll pick up Wake where I left off,
You'll close your eyes to the world,

we'll march off together of two minds,
accepting the night's end,
refusing what's next.

My kiss goodbye

Better to be devoured by the wolf then by the fleas
a german proverb proverbs at me from miles of years away,
cold long Atlantic ocean miles, printed black on white bookmark,
I've 3 bookmarks all for one book- on same page-
skinny little wolf standing on hind legs dirty and hungry,
where Jack runs from fame to Big Sur to alcohol to the sea--
asking us not to follow but we do,
like beatniks of old who grew up
to fuck us with genetically engineered seeds
and tall buildings that scorch the sky and city streets--

outside cold door sleeping
the air hangs hail heavy beating frozen ground
crack khish kish hiss tsk tsk kishk tsk
heavy on car windshield rush hour horror,

if that makes any sense
but to me, alone by night light
computer screen, typing in silence
cats somehow 12 years old now (how?)
serenely sleeping like only a cat can
in the dead of feverish night ageless hours
before morning,

soundless it hurt my ears

but please
don't go--
I've not written for you---

enough, my voice

like will o' wisp into eternal sadness
intangibly beautifully silent