What’s in the boat
she asked
He could not/would not/ answer
He was not ready to reveal
The secrets in the hold
But when the time was right
One night, she said
“Ok then…tell, so tell me”
And then the story opened
And the song began
Along the coastline
And beyond the edges
Of the trees…..
And let the new dance inside you
Breathe out and take a ride
Then breathe in and …. slide
And let what’s there behind you
Surprise you
So step back and do the step aside
Then let what’s here inside you
Do the step aside and then…
We’re ready to rise/ ready to begin
So let the new dance weave and spin
And let the young dancers ride on in
On the outgoing wave
And if you want to join in
Be brave and slide on in
and do the step aside
O yes come on in and do the step aside
and surprise/ you /will shine/ you will /ride on /in
on the step /aside/and shine
that’s you that’s you
On the once and ever surprise
of the rise and fall
of the wave
That’s you
That’s beautiful you
It’s you
My dearests
And demons
I mention explicitly
And with-
out regret….
Going backward
To gain a small step
Toward the light
And into dark
Toward the dark
And into the light
What do we know now
We did not know
Before.
The heart of the matter
Rests
On the roof of the sky
We only go by
We only go by
rebuilds
the beginning
finds all the way around
finds the torn town
when you have no more hope
When all you have / is the ragged rope
and all the voices say nope
what you do and do not do
in this place of despair and no more air
gives way to something like a dance
Or a bounce or a little bit like joy…
I look up to my highest window see US Flag torn raggedy
Hanging sad anger floats raw in the jim crow air
Unarmed black man shot 8 times in the back
From Here to Aleppo To North Charleston South Carolina
Denmark Vesey ready for another down home invasion
Charleston north under siege the air is full with the pungeant
Smell of rain and grief and M’ Dave my partner feeling bad
No relief/ beyond our best belief/what
To do/no answer from here
No answer in the air……
At a certain moment
By no one’s clock
The child can not still tell time
The scarlet bird stops its innocent play
And turns without warning into
The city’s bomb.
What can the child do but scream
But hide inside a silver hut
Where he sees out where no one sees in
Where the dream is a dream of petals falling off
Of faces cracked and howling
Of blood in the gutter
Of mothers and fathers hunting
For recognizabel remnants among rubble
Of the body the human body
Doing a charred unnatural dance
–for Paolo
Sometimes brilliant eye-
Sight/but/question is/girl/can you
Sustain the vision?
In the small box I place
my discernment,my scent, my ease,
My dis/ease, my documents, my pass/words,
My remainders, my reminders, my pass/port
My infinite and finite initiatives,
my skills, my worshipful silence,
My bragadoccio, my blog, my blabber/mouth,
My blarney, my slumbering fractious soul,
my recalcitrant shadow, my fools/cap
My hidden remains, my fuck/ups, my left/overs
My dust/balls, my lovers’ curiosity,
the miles I have travelled again
and going further, recklessly
considered and carefully placed in the small box, as I do
After all is done and said
I do. I do, I do it for the miles.
(after Vasco Popa)
I want to move across
I want to cross over
I want to take the trans
I want to take a chance
On the trans
But I’m confused
Don’t know what to choose
Do I need a transfer
Do I have a charlie card
Do i keep on travelling
till the end of time
Is the train on time
Is there a snow storm
Is there a hurricane
Is the trans derailed
Has the train failed
I’m confused
Don’t know what to choose
If you were me
If I was you
What would you do/what would I do
Till the end of the line
Please advise/please advise
Trans/figuration?
Trans/migration?
Trans/discipline?
Trans/port
Trans/position
Trans/atlantic
Trans/pacific
Trans/formation
Trans/lation
Trans/substantiation
Transitory Trans/story
Trans/gender
Trans/send transcend
Trans/fender bender
Trans Take the trans
I wanna move across
I wanna cross over
I’m confused
Don’t know what to choose
We were going to the big desert
They said I would love it and I believed it
It was raining in San Diego everyone blesses the rain
In San Diego the rain brings grateful tears
I was in the backseat enjoying the ride
Like a five year old with her parents
Heading up the mountain past Ramona to the desert
And all of a sudden the car started doing crazed
outta control slip-sliding contortions across the highway in zig zags
i woke up the five year old
Day dream… damn what the hell is wrong
what’s wrong with the car black ice
Awe/fullllll skids and slick glare no good brakes
Happening so fast and up the road we see it
An enormous 18 wheeler truck monster looming toward us
Wes went into the skid and got the buick around and righted
Just in time and all i can think of today
Back in the snow and ice and 12 feet snow banks
And shelter of boston safely home with m’ dave…is
….don white’s song………………..”It’s a great day to not be dead
…doo wha… doo wha “