sw00309v-6.poem4

Venturings


 [ In 1975 I was working at the West Bend, Wisconsin,
   Holiday Inn.  At that time Holiday Inns had a program
   called "HOLIDEX: TEST 2" which printed in upper-case
   only.  Its existence moved me to write a long poem in
   upper-case, a poem I would give the same name as 
   that program's name.  Some years later it was to be the
   feature poem in my never-published Teasings chapbook. ]

 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

 HOLIDEX: TEST 2


   1

 THIS IS A ROPE
 COILED IN THE GRASS


   2

 THE DOG-EARED LEAVES
 HOUND THE WIND

 THE TOMCAT SKIES
 ARCH & SPIT

 MY ARTERIES WITH MY HAIR
 HAVE THINNED

 MY TOUGH DARK THOUGHTS
 DULLED MY WIT

 AT THE FLICK OF YOUR WRIST
 YOUR SNAKE EYES SHOW

 AND THE HEATED AIR
 SPOILS & EATS

 THE APPLE
 SNOW


   3

 WEST / EAST
 STEP OUT:
 THE HOUSES OF YOUR OFFICIAL THINKERS
 ARE STILL TOO NARROW     TOO STARK

 SIT BY ME
 IN THIS WARM GRASS
 AND     IF YOU WISH
 TALK WITH ME
 TOUCH ME
 KISS ME


   4

 NO ELEMENT KNOWS THE RAIN
 AS DOES THE EARTH

 NEITHER THE AIRS
 THROUGH WHICH IT PASSES

 NOR THE FIRES
 IT KILLS

 NOR THE WATERS
 WITH WHICH IT BECOMES ONE

 FOR THE EARTH ABSORBS & DIGESTS IT
 AND GIVES IT BACK

 IN TRICKLES OF ITSELF
 TO FLASH FLOODS

 AND FLOODS OF
 SOBRIETY & FLASH


   5

 IN THE FOG
 ROBIN SONGS

 TODAY
 IS THE LAST DAY OF APRIL

 SOON MY WORDS
 WILL OPEN FOR YOU


   6

 IN THE COOL DAWN
 I LISTEN

 FOR THE RUSSIAN COMMUNISTS
 PARADE OF POWER
 FOR THE ROMAN CATHOLICS
 HYMN-FILLED CROWNING
 OF THEIR BLESSED VIRGIN

 IF     MY WORDS SOON
 WILL OPEN
 FOR YOU
 YOUR WORDS SOON
 WILL OPEN
 FOR ME

 LET US WELCOME THEM


   7

 THE STATUES OF THE VIRGIN
 SHATTER
 HER CROWNS OF FLOWERS
 BURN
 THE ROCKETS OF POWER
 TUMBLE
 THE PROUD BULLETS
 MELT

 WE WILL SIT AND WAIT
 FOR THE DANDELIONS TO BLOOM
 AND EACH PICK
 A BOUQUET FOR EACH OTHER


   8

 WE ARE WALKING
 THROUGH GRASSES
 ABOVE OUR EYES
 AND SEE
 EDGES
 VARIANT GREEN
 & A KNIFED SKY
 WITH OCCASIONAL CLOUDS
 & HERE & THERE
 A BIRD
 & A LEAFY END
 OF A FAR-REACHINGTREE
 & THE WAYS OUR BODIES
 FORCE THE GRASSES ASIDE
 & THE GRASSES
 COVER
 OUR FEET


   9

 CHOOSE
 THE DARKEST OF SPACES

 AND IT IS SAILS,
 & WALTZES,
 ROSES,
LIEBFRAUMILCH,
 & SAND.


  10

 WHAT I SAY HERE,
 WHETHER POORLY OR WELL,
 WHETHER WHOLLY OR PARTIALLY,
 IS SAID,
 AND CANNOT BE UNSAID.

 A DREAM IN SAND,
 A DREAM IN WOOD,
 A DREAM IN STEEL:

AS I GIVE YOU MY WORDS,
 I GIVE YOU ME.


 11

 SMALL, RADIANT,
 TEEMING PLANET
 IN ITS WHIRLING SLIDING
 CARRYING ON
 ROUND, ROUND     ITS AVERAGE STAR

 ASTONISHES THE UNIVERSE /
 MAKES THE UNIVERSE SIGH


  12

 MESSENGER TO MAGNATE:

 THOUGH ROCKS CRUSH ROCKS
 & FLOWERS STRANGLE FLOWERS,

 NEVER WILL I DO BATTLE FOR YOU
 AGAINST ANOTHER WORKER.


  13

 MAGNATE TO MESSENGER:

 IN POWER THERE IS DEATH.
 IN POWER, LIFE.

 THE THIRD MESSAGE
 YOU CARRIED
 THIS MORNING

 COULD DESTROY
 HALF
 OF THE WORLD.


  14

 WHY YOU--
 YOU--
 GOD--RUCK--I--
 I--QUIT.  I--
 CHALLENGE YOU
 TO A GAME OF CHESS.  I--
 CHALLENGE YOU--
 BY THE PEACEFUL BEINGS
 OF THE SEVENTH PLANET OF SIRIUS
 TO--MEDITATE--
 TO--LET LIVE--
 I--.


  15

 MESSENGER,
 THERE IS A WALL BETWEEN US
 I DO NOT THINK YOU CAN CLIMB
 OR HAMMER THE TINIEST HOLE IN.
 AND, MESSENGER,
 YOUR MESSAGE CAN NEITHER TUNNEL
 NOR FLY.


  16

 SIR--SLAVE--CONGLOMERATE,
 SOMEWHERE, BEYOND THIS CITY,
 IS A FOREST ENTERING
 SHINING SKIES,
 A PEBBLED BEACH
 DANCING WITH GULLS,
 A TRANQUIL MOMENT
 BRAGGING RAINBOWS--.


  17

 MESSENGER,
 IT WILL DO NO GOOD,
 BUT AS YOU WISH.
 WE CAN EVEN WALK TOGETHER /
 WE CAN EVEN SMILE.


  18

 BUTCHERER,
 DO NOT CHIDE ME.
 WHAT I DREAM, SO, IS DREAMT.
 ON THE SERENGETI A MILLION WILDEBEEST--AH


  19

 FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT
 SPLASH IN THIS RAPIDS
 THERE ARE NO ANSWERS
 GREATER THAN THE ANSWER THAT IS
 THE SPLASHING ITSELF

 AS WE WHO WATCH
 WHO LISTEN
 WHO FEEL

 PLAYING
 WITH THE WINDS
 & OVER THE ROCKS
 & AROUND THE WEEDS

 & INTO & OUT OF
 OUR SELVES


  20

 WHICH OF THE TWO IS RIGHT:
 THE MESSENGER, OR THE MAGNATE?

 THE DESIGNS OF OUR BARTERINGS
 RE-CREATE THE WORLD.

 NEITHER.

 FOR EACH NEW POWER
 A NEW COUNTER-POWER.

 THE AQUARIAN AGE
 IS     THE CHAMELEON AGE.


  21

 OUR VISIONS
 CHANGE
 OUR BARTERINGS.

 IF     THIS MORNING
 WE ARE RAPIDS,
 TONIGHT
 WE     MAY BE STARS.

 THIS LEAF I GIVE YOU
 IS PREGNANT


  22

 I HAD A DREAM
 OF TOURNIQUETS

 ON THE ARTERIES
 OF NATIONS

 AND AN EARTH OF BLOSSOMS OF JOY

 AND I HAD A DREAM OF NATIONS
 WHEELED INTO AMBULANCES
 & SPED OFF TO BE RESTED, TRANFUSED, CURED,

 THE DOCTORS OF LOVE
 COME TO PATCH THEIR ARTERIES,
 LOOSE THEIR TOURNIQUETS,
 TURN THEIR BLOOD-&-ASHES MINDS.

 AND I HAD A DREAM OF ANGERS
 SPEWING OUT OF BEDS,

 THE DOCTORS OF LOVE
 STABBED
 IN THEIR HEARTS,

 AND AN EARTH
 OF CRUMBLED
 BONES.


  23

 WATCH
 THIS LEAF,
 HOW IT RIDES
 THE CURRENTS


  24

 THE NIGHT IS SO WARM
 AND THE WIND SO EASY
 I WANT TO WALK NAKED
 UNDER THE MOON




-
Brian A. J. Salchert