Illinois (II)

I have several verses, not always about, but set in the U.S.A.

I have not yet started sorting these verses into any kind of coherent order, but will do so at some point. Influences for these include 'Wichita Vortex Sutra,' and 'Turtle Island,' in which we are all put in our place by the Earth rather than Snyder (even big old USA)

------------------------------------------------

Tired Illinois! You have not

Had the water and sun,

like years

past,

Now I am gone, snow and Northeastern fill up

horizon, bombast sentence from sad, turgid lips –

Scandinavia chest

Redskin heart

Burning pre-packaged clouds into a fire,

Slurping whatever is left as it droops from a bowed stick,

Rain on Rain – And

It copies the shower’s noise,

Or

Is rain just rain that knows not how to copy?

Tight-mouthed kiss, as though it’ll stop halfway through if you let it,

The lump on the inside of my cheek is your tongue,

The lumps beneath your shirt

are man-made

I am not the Man who made them,

Nor am I (now) he who maintains them,

Gorgeous lips on you!

Gorgeous-lipt woman animal –

No 'Midwest Solitude' in your Midwest,

Not ‘pale youths,’ who take time to lean,

You are

Machined-youth, new prototype,

Suggested robot-soldier of your Country’s

ascent

World Throne now free!

But can’t sit comfortable

because of those lumps under there –

Gaping sun, through window,

Unable to curtain you out

Big, round

burp in the sky; why won’t you go down?