Exquisite Corpse - A Journal of Letters and Life

Such As This

On a day such as this
There simply is
No hope
Of work
Nothing to be done
But mount my bicycle
And coast in summer air
Refreshing, clean, and empty
The vast sky nearly cloudless
A sparkling, blue infinity
Frigate winds tempering
The slip-your-clothes-off heat
I glide upon smooth pavement
Floating, almost flying
And for all the world believe
I'm by the sea
Every shore I've ever loved
In August
Nantucket, Newfoundland, and Skye
All of it rains down on me
One exquisite memory
Almost
Too good to endure
Lobster, butter, fresh, sweet corn
Bonfires on the beach
Clams we dug out
Of the muck ourselves
With tender, wriggling toes
Tough knife, squirt of lemon juice
Down the hatch it goes
How you sat on the slats
Of that Adirondack chair
In your dripping bathing suit
And when you rose
The wet ghost
You left

I Swear On The Teeth Of My Living God

The river is slow
Well fed
And swollen
Thick as a boa
Parrots shriek
God is at peace
Suspended, content
Still and invisible
These are wonderful days

My god rules the river
Source of my suffering
Source of my joy
My god gives me water
And takes it away
His justice is swift

Blessed boy
Fortunate one
Weeping moon
A mother mourns
Her son

My god is older than time
Stronger than
The strongest man
Focused, pure, magnificent
Born in the age of lightning
Magic, terror, drama
Evaporating matter
In a flash

Blessed boy
Our savior
Sacrifice
Hallelujah
Walk to the water's edge
And wait