This range was composed on 10/30 and 10/31 after my visit to Zuccotti Park on 10/18. It was first read at Zinc Bar on 11/6. The “Jake” that this range addresses is Jacob Bromberg, a contributing editor to The White Review, who was kind enough to solicit me for work over the summer. It’s a thank you not only to him but to many, many others. The title is taken from Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall,” a poem that addresses, in part, the necessity and ridiculousness of tradition.
I Could Say “Elves” To Him But It’s Not Elves Exactly
Jake—maybe ya know but have no
idea what we do over here. Some
some idea. You know Violi?
Imagination magnificent he founder
First Community College du Loup.
You’ll admit its pyramid & indigo bulge
apart from the island proper.
A topnotch twirler tho know
his baton doubled as laser blade ’cause of
copyright restrictions. Limitations! Borders
artificial. Wide the gap in our Custerdome
“bodacious cowboys” “such as your friend”
“will never be welcome here” dear cousin I can’t do
party. Find the hotspot I plotz. No lingo
mi gringo conmigo y su mujeres.
Soy El Hombre Mayor.
Ellas saben lo que estoy hablando. Ante up.
Six months from now & six months from
now then the beginning of the begin.
Stipe’s no farmer. Buck’ll boogie. Mills’ll
quote 40,000 miles more to Athens.
My sonnet “Anti-Horse” addresses that creature
as symbol of Sneakypantsism. In short
some empire. Some old cold. Some
new lozenge. Every step of the way.
Winter Sonoma. Past the Mississippi
you can’t not hardly find
my probable cause. My flaws
show whole. My laws tire of Number.
Tried to escape but the gangsters here
well you know Scoresese.
Late October is my favorite.
Lead up too. Skyfire. Periwinkle
sucks limbtips but this year the snow.
White mountain ground creeps column
douse flame. Zuccotti is Glastonbury.
Oakland’s Atlanta is Denver.
Tahrir & Neda. Saadhi Whitman. Same
swamps absorbs binds the universe.
Still the individual. Break out go forth
dig in undone get down
come around. Qui-Gon Jinn. My upper lip
is covered I know you have no idea
what we do here.
I’m surprised myself sometimes
when I look up
see exactly what it is.
