CK Williams from I Am the Bitter Name, 1972 -
The Spirit the Triumph do you remember learning to tie your shoes? astonishing! the loops you had to make the delicate adjustments the pulling-through tightening impossible! the things we learn! putting a bridle on a horse when he's head-shy getting your hands under a girl's sweater no wonder we are the crown of all that exists we can do anything how we climb chimneys how we put one foot on the gas one on the clutch and make the car go nothing too difficult nothing! crutches artificial arms have you seen that? how they pick their cups up and use razors? amazing! and the wives shine it for them at night they're sleeping the wives take it out of the room and polish it with its own special rag it's late they hold it against their bellies the leather laces dangle into their laps the mechanisms slip noiselessly lowering the hook softly onto their breasts we men! aren't we something? I mean we are worth thinking about aren't we? we are the end we are the living end The Beginning of April I feel terribly strong today it's like the time I arm-wrestled a friend and beat him so badly I sprained his wrist or when I made a woman who was really beautiful love me when she didn't want to it must be the warm weather I think I could smash bricks with my bare hands or screw until I was half out of my mind the only trouble jesus the only trouble is I keep thinking about a kid I saw starving on television last night from Biafra he was unbearably fragile his stomach puffed up arms and legs sticks eyes distorted what if I touched somebody like that when I was this way? I can feel him going stiff under my hands I can feel his belly bulging ready to pop his pale hair disengaging from its roots like something awful and alive please I won't hurt you I want you in my arms I want to make something for you to eat like warm soup look I'll chew the meat for you first in case your teeth ache I'll keep everybody away if you're sleeping and hold you next to me like a little brother when we go out I'm so cold now what are we going to do with all this? I promise I won't feel myself like this ever again it's just the spring it doesn't mean anything please Yours I'd like every girl in the world to have a poem of her own I'd written for her I don't even want to make love to them all anymore just write things your body makes me delirious your face enchants me you are a wonder of soul spirit intelligence one for every one and then the men I don't care whether I can still beat them all them too a poem for them how many? seeing you go through the woods like part of the woods seeing you play piano seeing you hold your child in your tender devastating hands and of course the children too little poems they could sing or dance to this is our jumping game this our seeing game our holding each other even the presidents with all their death the congressman and judges I'd give them something they would hold awed to their chests as their proudest life thing somebody walking along a raod where there's no city would look up and see his poem coming down like a feather out of nowhere or on the assembly line new instructions a voice sweet as lunchtime or she would turn over a stone by the fire and if she couldn't read it would sing to her in her body listen! everyone! you have your own poem now it's yours as much as your heart as much as your own life is o men! o people! please stop how it's happening now please I'm working as fast as I can I can't stop to use periods sometimes I draw straight lines on the page because the words are too slow I can only do one at a time don't die first please don't give up and start crying or hating each other they're coming I'm hurrying be patient there's still time isn't there? isn't there?