from BLUE BOOK #1
Charles Bukowski
an interlude
it was on Western Avenue
last night
about 7:30 p.m.
I was walking south
toward Sunset
and on the 2nd floor of
a motel across the street
in the apartment in front
the lights were on
and there was this young man
he must have weighed 400 pounds
he looked 7 feet tall
and 4 feet wide
as he reached over
and rather lazily punched
a naked woman in the face.
another woman jumped up
(this woman was fully clothed)
and he gave her a whack across
the back of the head before he
turned and punched the naked one
in the face again.
there was no screaming and
he seemed almost bored by it all.
then he walked over to the window
and opened it. he had what looked like
a small roasted chicken in his
hand.
he put it to his mouth
bit nearly half of it away
and began chewing.
he chewed for a moment or
two
then spit the bones carefully
out the window
(I could hear them
fall on the
sidewalk).
good god jesus christ all mighty,
have mercy on us all!
then he looked down at me
and smiled
as I quickly moved away
ducking my head down
into the night.
Ed Berrigan
Dec. 15th on the train
Three years ago I rode a California Zephyr
the opposite direction from absolute sexual mist.
It ended five days ago as a twinge.
It's impossible to have night vision on a train
& tracing landscapes under the sun distorts
eye sight. Children say, "Ah, nuts!"
Coffee is good if purple, I don't get wired
but fill with delight. A dirty tooth sits
next to potential sex. If not for mist I'd
be poorly thought of by fear. Pie would be
good, & no dusk but for Nevada's. Now
I work without my old within, reentering old Colorado.
I'd have sex with Colorado, though not with
New York. I mustn't tell my brain about this.
Does my brain know it's not me? I am holding
you & kindling. I hope Shawn isn't mad that
I didn't write. I only write mom, but it's
hard to tell people that. I watched my kinder
garten teacher bury a hamster at what is now
Naropa. I didn't have many friends then but
David was there & I had action figures. Imagination
never failed me, but it did distract me three years
ago, long enough for emotion to take action.
Six years ago in a ripped black shirt on a lawn
chair under the sun I read Pride & Prejudice at
a party. It made Bobby smile. I don't know
much about Bobby except that she was a folk song
I think. I saw the album. I don't know who I
should call this time.
Elaine Equi
CAREER
In trees
the leaves have
finally found
their niche.
