Inspired by the introduction to Poems for the Millennium, Volume Two by Jerome Rothenberg and Pierre Joris
Stifling freedom
“the dead … in the way” (C. Olson)
the one thing learning
obscures
the darkness
outside
seen through the veil
of darkness within
a civilization
of shame
hidden in dirt
underworld
vast with power grids
fueled by fear and separation
death
much exaggerated
“all darkness is golden” (P. Pate)
brings insight
makes birdsong
tell secrets
what we know of the light
how it makes us feel
The purple mourning dove
deepens the darkness with her song
what is gold, gold, gold
and all of it brass
of Capital that makes things glow
of War that brings beauty of spoils
of Politics that lets the speechless find their speech
of Words that know when to shut the fuck up
all of it gold
when voiced
when lives are risked diving to dig for it
glowing
voiceless
while shadow people moan
it’s not to speak for them
for they will never hear
it’s not to speak for anyone
its strength is the invisible
what is
and cannot be said
in word
golden
A value at odds
with values clamant for approval
we were born dead, you know
the groove is just gravy
tyrannies are tyrannies
because we believe them
what islands
what untrammeled jungles
must we find
to escape the tyrant
in our mind?
We can oppose without opposing
detach without detaching
alchemize words
by letting them speak for themselves
find the perpetual
in decay
speak, finally, for life
pretending we never have met
