Hole in the Sky and other works by Paul Chasse
New Orleans poet Paul Chasse, warrior, outlaw, and hepcat of the Most High Order co-founded the legendary Thursday night Dragon's Den MADPOET EXPRESS with Dave Brinks on November 7, 1996. Paul's family and friends of miss him dearly. His presence in the New Orleans community was one of the finest examples of professional human beings, and one of the greatest troubadours this earth has ever known. Paul always held our tongues to the fire of Truth, and occasionally used a 2 x 4 to do it! None such as he shall pass this way again, Keeper of Flames! Paul Chasse 1966 - 2008, In Memorium.
There Is No Pain on the Highway
There is no pain on the highway
hypnotic, asphalt siren song in
my ears again, I thought it muted (except
for the occasional sunday putt) by
good job, good woman, but all
overwhelmed, like the Nile floods &
wipes out the work of generations &
all is gone but the highway song &
as I struggle, a timeclock slave, my
empty wrist aches for the throttle
No, no pain on the highway, baby,
only roads, I love roads. The interstates,
long well maintained stretches of faceless
anonymity, backroads, crumbling lost highways
potholes & crazy quilt alligator cracks
running along fading, painted lines. Laugh &
worry lines on the soul of the continent.
There is no pain on the highway
Only sound, thrumming of hog's twin cylinders
beneath me, roar of a passing diesel,
wail of its air horn, tire song.
no pain on the highway
only wind, hot desert breath, cool
mountain breeze, salty seacoast sighing &
it never has to end, for there are always
more roads, loved and familiar, like a lover's body
or unknown unconquered alien territory
there is no pain on the highway
No hope, or despair, ambitions, disappointments, love, loss
only my magical steelchrome, fiery assed Odin horse,
a centaur, I, a myth, I don't exist & feel
no pain on the highway
What Was My Name?
I lost my soul inside a computer
I was being processed
for the common good
and somewhere between the memory disks
and the database
somehow
they stole my soul and replaced it with
electronic impulses
they emptied my mind
and filled it with preprogrammed microchips
they killed my gods
and substituted
adherence of elements
to physical laws
they stole my name and gave me a number
A-SDC-114611 \ 808
Prison Release
Like, wow, I'm out
The gates parted and I walked free
Blessed, blissful freedom
Two hundred dollars, new Levi's,
And an ill fitting shirt
FREE!
The glistening sunlight glanced and shimmered
Off the glass strewn, littered highway
As I waited for the bus to arrive
In its cloud of diesel fumed glory
My love met me at the bus station
Luxurious hair, sinful eyes
Her scent telling me that I'm
FREE!
We drove to the mountains in an old Dodge van
We swam in a soft, swift stream
In the earth's hollow, granite shoulder
The cold, clear water washed away the shackles
Her pale nakedness aroused me
To heights I had previously forgotten
Mother Earth demanded her ritual of rebirth
I acquiesced
And the surrender was oh so sweet
Just an Average Day
Nobody tried to kill me today
It was a good day
Little Wolf was stabbed in the chow line today
Today was fucked
I got your letter today
It was a good day
You said you can't come on visiting day
Today was fucked
I got two hours on the yard today
It was a good day
I sat and stared at the highway
Today was fucked
I saw a hawk today
It was a good day
It flew away & was free
Today was fucked
Inasmuch
yesterday & tomorrow
i sat under the Bhodi Tree
awaiting a vision from the master
a falcon came and perched
on the branch that is wisdom
her name was freedom and
she shouted "inasmuch"
in a voice that told me to get up and walk
i trod on the bare bones of sunrise
through a cobalt forest
into Babylon's nightfall i stumbled
conquered Philistines
used their jawbones for tombstones
founded empires on ashes of elder gods
ruled as priest king
in a mountain fastness and
through it all, through it all, a falcon
on my shield on my banner
the falcon soared triumphant crying
"inasmuch"
Who the Fuck Cares If the Beats Ate Beets?
(visions of Bob Kaufman)I am the 4th son
called luckless
& landless
the favored one
give me Ireland
& 1000 pounds of silver
youth wasted in west coast dreams of dragons
eating black carpet highways skirting the golden shore
now about more serious business
delivering impertinent grapefruits
& lists of demands
to halls of state & academia
o querulous dogs of heaven
cease your endless yammering
barking uselessly at tangerine trees
killing us with mangoes wrapped for Christmas
this vegetable genocide must stop
& since
you will not
speak
think
act
like a human being
you are condemned to forever bray like asses
though none can tell the difference
Do You?
Did you
know me?
Did I
know you?Do you know
that I'm sitting
on the other side of town
wondering if
I know
me?
Do you care?
Farewell, Big Easy
swamp spawned
lump of levee mud
river turd
in the bend of the goddess's leg
New Orleans
I shall miss you
your stones &
stench &
sparrows in the square &
old woman
staff in hand
groaning in cardboard
boxes
with wordless wisdom
that will not speak
a canal st bus
desire
cemeteries
your minstrels
& madmen
singing for coins on corners
crying prophesy
in damp dawn doorways
& a swirling, swaying
dark haired girl
dope sick
& weary
she dances for dollarsI wanna go to jail
she said
there's food there
& tv
& a bed
Hole in the Sky
whisper lies backwards
they become truth
when told often enough
they become edible, like soft bread & milk
this is wisdom:
reality is only a lie in reverse
believe this:
the devil has two pussies
but assholes multiply &
maintain the illusion by walking perpendicular
& backwards
Burning Through by Beth Chasse
"I don't know if it's my vision or everything's just crooked"
- Dave Brinks
OH HELL-BENT HOLY ROMAN CANDLE
BURNING THROUGH THE HEAVEN
SCATTERING SPACE JUNK AND THE TRIADS
BLAZING BURNOUTS ACROSS OUR SOULS
LEAVING YOUR PERSONAL
STIGMATA
SERED INTO OUR BROKEN HEARTS
OH BEAUTIFUL BLEEDING SCAR
POURING LOVE
AND HEALING
AND BLESSING
AND YOUR GALLONS OF RED WINE
SCREAMING,
"DIG IT!!!!!!!!!
LIVE! YOU DIG?
LIVE!!!!!!!
NO REGRETS!
NO FEAR BABY!
SPREAD YOUR WINGS
AND FLY WITH ME!!!!!
COME BACK WITH YOUR SHIELDS
OR ON THEM!
"COME BACK WITH YOUR SHIELDS
OR ON THEM..."
Tuesday morning, September 16, 2008