book of autumn thirst: this must be ours
[book of autumn thirst]
this must be ours
it was scirocco time 1
early summer of ninety six 2
(an atypical year that would prove 3
splendid for the wineries of asian childkings, 4
harsh for first world arms dealers) 5
and sub-sahara scents wafted 6
through every kitchen 7
of every christian, moslem, and heathen. 8
iron teeth were cat fed, 9
the massai boy ate lion that autumn. 10
the embassy girl said he’d pay 11
for what his wander veldt kill bought then. 12
skinny girls were put on the fat bed 13
of clitorectomy and ectopic pregnancy 14
with their tar paper ankles held bracelet skin firmly; 15
as still as could be, considering. 16
the samburu girl 17
drinks cows’ blood with milk 18
and svelte cookies made of 19
palm oil, rice and ginger. 20
and is she made of words? 21
because she sleeps on mats. 22
everything we do is fight. 23
it was a beast with many broken spears in it; 24
the tips rusting in hard flesh, 25
the shafts broken like dry toothpicks, 26
stems of feathers left 27
in copper twinings, 28
blood gutters carrying pus to the ground. 29
and the thing is huge, 30
waits for rain to roll in the mud. 31
everything we do is a fight. 32
it was a shoddy rewrite of the viral epilogue, 33
everyone got it. 34
it was a spectacular view 35
based on a book by a jew 36
to whom egypt became home enough 37
and prison enough. 38
he felt like this: 39
it wasn’t rainy, 40
it wasn’t sunny, 41
it wasn’t a warm place 42
and a matzah filled tummy– 43
it was the insomnia of sore exhaustion 44
three hours before waking. 45
everything we do is the fight. 46
it was as efficient a weapon 47
as has yet been conceived, 48
we all watched you hunt yourself 49
and we watched you wound yourself 50
in the thigh in the tall grasses 51
and we all saw you walking fearlessly in 52
and we saw you say, “ow,” (firm toned) 53
but not move or swear or kick or cry, 54
but only enjoy how far away 55
all the pain was from you 56
and we were spiteful, 57
gnashing and biting pantheist trolls, 58
because in our myths we are essentially lucky children, 59
misogynists, and rather ordinary madmen. 60
0.34 30.6.95
