Sun-Up and Other Poems - The Anarchist Library

56 Pages·2012·0.14 MB·English

Sun-Up and Other Poems
Comrades
Life Lola Ridge
Youhavebeengoodtome…
Youhavenotmadeyourselftoodear
tojugglewith.
44
Altitude
Iwonder
howitwouldbeherewithyou,
wherethewind
thathasshakenoffitsdustinlowvalleys
touchesonecleanly,
aswithanew-washedhand,
andpain
isastheremotehungerofdroningthings,
andanger
butalittlesilence
sinkingintothegreatsilence.
43
The Dream Contents
Ihaveadream Dedication 7
tofillthegoldensheath
ofarememberedday…
(Air Sun-Up 8
heavyandmassedandblue
Sun-Up 9
asthevaporofopium…
I
domes
Celia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
firedinsulphurousmist…
II
sea
TheAlley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
quiescentasagrayseal…
III
andtheemergingsun
Mama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
spurtingupgold
IV
overSydney,smoke-pale,risingoutofthebay…)
Betty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Butthedayisanup-turnedcup
V
anditssunajunkofrediron
Jude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
gutteringinsluggish-greenwater—
whereshallIpourmydream?
Monologues 37
Jaguar 38
WildDuck 40
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
TheDream 42
Altitude 43
42 3
Comrades 44 II
Nocturne 45 Aswater,clearedofthereflectionofabird
Thathaslatelyflownacrossit,
CactusSeed 46 Yettrembleswiththebeatingofitswings,
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Somysoul…emptiedoftheknownyou…utterly…
Isyetvibrantwiththecadenceofthesong
Youmighthavebeen…
Windows 48
‘Twasagreatnight…
Withneverawastelookoverashoulder
Time-Stone 49
Curvedtothecrookofthewind…
Andagreatwordwethrew
TrainWindow 50
Formemorytoplayknuckleswith…
Scandal 51 Awordthewatersoftheworldhavewashed,
Leavingitstarkandwithoutsmell…
Electricity 52 Aworldthatrattleswellinemptiness:Good-by.
Skyscrapers 53
WallStreetatNight 54
EastRiver 55
Secrets 56
Interim 57
AfterStorm 58
Secrets 60
Potpourri 61
Thaw 62
4 41
Portraits 63
Mother 64
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Wild Duck II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
V. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
I
SonsofBelial 67
Thatwasagreatnightwespiedupon
SonsofBelial 68
See-sawinghome,
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Singingahotsweetsongtothesuper-stars
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Shufflingoffbehindthesmoke-haze…
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Fog-hornssentimentalizingontheriver…
IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Lightsdwindlingtoshiningslits
Inthewetasphalt…
Purring lights… red and green and golden-
Reveille 71
whiskered…
Diggingdaintilypointedclawsinthesoftmud… InHarness 72
…Butyoudidnotknow… I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Asthetrainsmadegoldenaugers II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Boringinthedarkness…
Howmyheartkeptracingoutalongtherails, Reveille 75
Asaspiderrunsalongathread
ToAlexanderBerkman 77
Andhaulshiminagain
Tosomedrawingpoint…
EmmaGoldman 79
Youdidnotknow
Howwildducks’wings
AnOldWorkman 80
Itchatdawn…
Howatdawnthenecksofwildducks ToLarkin 81
Archtothesun
Andnew-mownair WindRisingintheAlleys 82
Tricklessweetintheirgullets.
40 5
andturnandwatch…
noseatthecleft’sedge.
39
Jaguar Dedication
Nasalintonationsoflight (TomyMother)
andclickingtongues…
publicityofwindows Letmecradlemyselfback
stoningmewithpent-upcries… Intothedarkness
smellsofabattoirs… Ofthehalfshapes…
smellsoflong-deadmeat. Ofthecauledbeginnings…
Letmestirtheattarofunusedair,
Someday-end—
Elusive…ironicallyfragrant
whilethesandisyetcozyasablanket
Asadeadqueen’skerchief…
offthewarmbodyofasquaw,
Letmeblowthedustfromoffyou…
andthejaguarsareouttokill…
Resurrectyourbreath
withablue-blacknightcomingon
Lyinglimpasafan
andapaintedcloud
Inadeadqueen’shand.
stalkingthefirststar—
IshallgoaloneintotheSilence…
thecoiledSilence…
whereacrycanrunonlyalittleway
andwaveranddwindle
andbelost.
Andthere…
wheretinyantlersclinchandstrain
aslifegrapplesinamillionavidpoints,
andthreshingthings
strikeanddie,
lettingtheirhateliveon
inthespreadingpurpleofawound…
Itoo
willmakecovertofacreviceinthenight,
38 7
Sun-Up Monologues
andhisblazinghair
shalllightuptheworld.
::
Beforehehitme— Sun-Up
Iknewhewasgoingto—
IthoughtaboutJude…
Ithoughtifhe’dfight… (Shadowsoveracradle…
butheshriveledallup… fire-lightcraning…
helaydownlikeafear. Ahand
MamaneverknewaboutJude. throwssomethinginthefire
Youalwayswantedtotellher, andasmallerhand
butsomehowyouneverdid. runsintotheflameandoutagain,
Youwereafraidshe’dsmile singedandempty…
andsayhewasn’treal— Shadows
thathewasonlyalittledream-boy, settlingoveracradle…
becausethegrassdidn’tfalldownunderhisfeet… twohands
Heisfadingnow… andafire.)
Heisjustlines…likeadrawing…
Youcanseemamainbetween. I
Whenshemoves
Celia
sherubssomeofhimout.
Cherry,cherry,
glowingonthehearth,
brightredcherry…
Whenyoutrytopickupcherry
Celia’sshriek
sticksinyoulikeapin.
::
WhenGodthrowshailstones
youcuddleinCelia’sshawl
andpressyourfeetonherbelly
highuplikeastool.
WhenCeliamakesumbrellaofherhand.
36 9
Rainfallsthrough Theroadsmelledofhorses.
bigpinkspokesofherfingers. Ionlygotup
WhenwindblowsCelia’sgownupoffherlegs whenIheardadray.
sherunsunderpillarsofthebank—
::
greatroundpillarsofthebank
Mamahassungbabablacksheep,
haveonwhitestockingstoo.
andputachairwithaclothonit
::
betweenmeandthelight.
Celiasaysmyfather Buttheclockkeepssaying:
willbringmeagoldenbowl. Dirtylittlebeggar,
WhenIthinkofmyfather dirtylittlebeggar…
Icannotseehim Someday
forthebigyellowbowl Iwillgetthatboy.
likethemoonwithtwohandles Iwillpulloffhisarmsandlegs
hecarriesinfrontofhim. andputhiminabox
andhidethebox
::
underthebed…
Grandpa,grandpa…
Iwonder
(Lightallaboutyou…
willhebuzz
ginger…pouringoutofgreenjars…)
whenItakehimouttolookathisbody
You don’t believe he has gone away and left his
thatwillhavenoarmstowhipme?
greatcoat…
Mamadrewmycottothewindow
soyoupretend…youseehisfaceupintheceiling.
soIcanlookatthestars.
When you clap your hands and cry, grandpa,
Iwillnotlookatthestars.
grandpa,grandpa,
Thereisablackchimney
Celiacrossesherself.
throwingupsparks
::
andonetallflame
Itisn’tadream… likegoldhairinablaze…
Itcomesagainandagain… Iknownow
Youhearivycryingonsteeples whatIshalldo…
theflameshaven’tcaughtyet Iwillsetfiretohim
andimagesscreaming andhewillburnupintoatallflame—
whentheyseeredlightonthelilies hewillscreamintothesky
onthestainedglasswindowofSt.Joseph. andsparkswillflyoutofhim—
Thegirlwiththeblackeyesholdsyoutight, hewillburnandburn…
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