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August 22

Writing for a millenium poets arrive
Celebrate the poet who might die
The Press debates distinction between 
being guardian of a pet and an owner 
Nevertheless, it's a full house 
The audience-mind drifts 
among silver foil tentacles, graphs, doodles, gags

The poet being celebrated squirms 
Atop Mt. Zion hospital
Barks at nurses about bad food
Mutated zucchini, chicken-like cutlets under gravy 
coagulations, perplexed and exaggerated 
by a telephone he can't see, a TV that can't be 
what Americans are watching, but it is 
so it must be broke

          *

bacteria, rod-like
with fancy scientific name 
has taken up residency in the body of the monk
in ten days it must be dead and carried out
or mistreatment of the holy bard
will be continued

          *

drip      drip

           sucking ginger-ale from articulated straw

drip      drip

sun rises on bed motorized 
mocking a foothill the body wraps in and out of linen geology

           until

                    drip      drip

scrambled eggs assassinated
and muffins that make one ashamed of being an Englishmen 
roll in like death

          *

"I lack moral fiber"

          So you put yourself through this?

"Yes, and if I make it very hard on myself 
  I hope to become more fibrous"

          So that's why you're building poundage up?
          To test your limits?

"Yes," he grins maliciously

                    I see, understanding the moral complexity 
                    having been raised with a silver spoon in my mouth
                    and gentle arms rocking the baby, always 
                    having to prove I can fall on my head 
                    with the best of them 
                    and still survive

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