from Pieces of an Hour (audio only)
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“the tongues of dying men/enforce attention like deep harmony.” —W.S. Shakespeare in memoriam LeRoi Jones/ Amiri Baraka 1934-2014 who wakes you up bad scenic tapestry dove barely escaping hawk villains bandits robber barons slave traders an excuse for progress? who wakes you up biblical, literal or actual rips in bright kente cloth or black today symbolizing “intensified spiritual energy” enigmatic dreams get made with you enfolding your selves o man of social action lift consciousness to teach us ugly deeds toes keep a thrum upon the body politic “survival dancing” & deconstruct for us “state control” harrowing acts of cruelty, intricacies a Byzantine cloak and dagger morality play gets made of tragic events unfathomable fury fury fury or redemption in verbal spells (contagious elegance’s controversial logic) such sweetness too in a man you love turns poetry from dangerous toy to weapon lament or dirge or love song skillful means, upaya’s wit rhetoric of praise & ceremony or un-censorable blame jazz riff toward visionary plateau whose time is come this is the way it sounds griot’s call who’s a daemon? griot calling it sounds & poetry is your gospel truth who was target a whole long life in the struggle for syntax of revolution be these accidents or miracles that bind us be this friendship & love who told it as it is, love of human freedom is a love supreme is this buried, mere ornament poet saying to one coming up on stage read like your ancestors are on fire? chivalric banner guilds bowstrings obligatory joust reluctance in the cities in the suburbs but ready to rise a surreal riddle’s surprise flee? escape? surrender? fight back? consistency in the man looking back… and moving forward looking back though he break hearts he never forgets arke history & purpose twin dynamics for a new-to-come action-poetics with post-post-post-post medieval exegesis who was this journeyman plangent messenger good dark angel Amiri and could be wrathful too not about accordance the whole range is transcending human suffering, you dig? his gleaming steel uncompromised brilliance our reward
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Marriage marriage is like you say everything everything in stereo stereo fall fall on the bed bed at dawn dawn because you work work all night. Night is an apartment. Meant to be marriage. Marriage is an apartment & meant people people come in in because when when you marry marry chances are there will be edibles edibles to eat at tables tables in the house. House will be the apartment which is night night. There there will be a bed bed & an extra bed bed a clean sheet sheet sheet or two two for guests guests one extra towel. Extra towel. How will you be welcomed? There will be drinks drinks galore galore brought by armies of guests guests casks casks of liquors liquors & brandies brandies elixirs sweet & bitter bitter bottle of Merlot Merlot Bustelo coffee. Will you have some when I offer. When you are married married there will be handsome gifts for the kitchen kitchen sometimes two of every thing. Everything is brand brand new new. Espresso coffee cups, a Finnish plate, a clock, a doormat, pieces of Art. And books of astonishing Medical Science with pictures. Even richer lexicons. When you are married married there will be more sheets sheets & towels towels arriving arriving & often often a pet pet or two two. You definitely need a telephone & a cellphone when you are married married. Two two two two lines lines lines lines. You need need separate separate electronic mail electronic mail accounts accounts. When you are married married you will have sets sets of things things, of more sheets & towels matching, you will have duplicates of things, you will have just one tablecloth. When you are married married you will be responsible when neighbors neighbors greet you. You will smile smile in unison unison or you might say he is fine, she is fine, o she is just down with a cold, o he is consoling a weary traveler just now, arrived from across the Plains. She my husband is due home soon, he my wife is busy at the moment, my husband he is very very busy busy at the moment moment this very moment. Meant good-bye, good-bye. When you are married married sex sex will happen happen without delay delay. You will have a mailbox mailbox & a doorbell doorbell. Bell bell ring ring it rings rings again a double time. You do not have to answer. That's sure for when you are married people people understand understand you do not not have to answer answer a doorbell doorbell because sex sex may happen happen without delay delay. You will hear everything twice, through your ears & the ears of the other. Her or him as a case case may be be. He & he & she & she as a case case may be may be. When you are married married you can play play with names names & rename yourself if you like. You can add a name, have a double name with a hyphen if you like. You can open joint accounts when you are married. Marriage is no guarantee against depression. A shun is no guarantee against anything. Marriage is no guarantee against resolution. Revolution is a tricky word word. Here, you hear here? Marriage is sweeter sweeter than you think. Think.
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