Life is complicated
Drains are roaring
Percy B. Shelley—was fond of soaring
Flowers of spring—tra-la—suddenly
In this lone kitchen
Ferocious sociopath—rubs ace of hearts
Against his crotch for luck
[She said] So why not stay up, brother
and think about everything
and I mean—everything
[He said] I’m not going to read
any of these—to anyone
over the phone tonight
[They said] God knows … back there
in his snug chair or his perishing tower
wistful
sniffing a flower
So—let it slide
And let’s abide
And sigh
As dawn is drawing nigh
There is the rain—there is the snow
The dew—the fog—the mist—the glow
Hers—Mine
Possessive forms of action
Giving one little—or no traction
[She said] The radio keeps talking
It tells me news and weather and feelings
About products and sadness
Boxes and boxes of sadness
[Someone said] You’re not going to sleep anyway
You’re going to lay around and curse
[We said] How do—he plus she
hang together
on their still beautiful
(though in this case—slightly bent) frames?
[We said] Beautifully
[And uh, she said, making the best of what's still around ... love the song ...]
Anselm Hollo & Donald Hall (paraphrased poetry)
Life is complicated Drains are roaring Percy B. Shelley—was fond of soaring Flowers of spring—tra-la—suddenly In this lone kitchen Ferocious sociopath—rubs ace of hearts Against his crotch for luck
[She said] So why not stay up, brother and think about everything and I mean—everything [He said] I’m not going to read any of these—to anyone over the phone tonight
[They said] God knows … back there in his snug chair or his perishing tower wistful sniffing a flower So—let it slide And let’s abide And sigh As dawn is drawing nigh There is the rain—there is the snow The dew—the fog—the mist—the glow Hers—Mine Possessive forms of action Giving one little—or no traction
[She said] The radio keeps talking It tells me news and weather and feelings About products and sadness Boxes and boxes of sadness
[Someone said] You’re not going to sleep anyway You’re going to lay around and curse [We said] How do—he plus she hang together on their still beautiful (though in this case—slightly bent) frames? [We said] Beautifully
[And uh, she said, making the best of what's still around ... love the song ...]