VIEWPOINT

drenched in blindfolds
a caveman licked
my boots while
vis a vis us
some crook was
nailed to a cross
with a telescope
protruding from
a gash in his
right side
and behind him
on a step ladder
someone was peering
through
the telescope which
pierced his body
coin-operated
(the telescope,
not the body)
and behind
that ladder
a queue
of souls
all stood waiting
like a landscape
their turn
to climb up
and stick
their obol in
and stick
their eye up
to the eyepiece
to see ai
ai yi I hope
they weren't too
disappointed
to see nothing but
me and him
that caveman slut
drenched
in blindfolds

GESUNDHEIT

Sneezes wouldn't be so bad if they filled balloons.

How many sneezes on the planet at any given time;
and if each sneeze filled a balloon,

imagine (bless you!)
all those sneeze-balloons floating in the air.

But a sneeze-balloon might be rather fragile—
more like a bubble than a regular balloon . . . hmm.

A sneeze is sort of like a balloon pop:
sudden, violent, unforseeable. Out of nowhere.

In either case, burgeoned or burst, this transfer
of ether occurs wherever Entropy beckons,—

see its deadly equality shining up there,
glittering like globules of star saliva,

worlds atchooed by all.

MONOPOLY

Finally the day dawned when a monopoly owned everything in the world
So it went looking for its stockholders to celebrate
But they were all owned by it they were all dead they were someplace
Their photographs hung in elevators which went up and down up and
down carrying nobody
Everyone else was in bed doing exercises to get in shape for noon
Hey the monopoly said let's uncork the Tower of Babel and get blotto
Silence
The monopoly scowled
All it wanted was a little good-fellowship, like you get in the
highrise apartment-buildings
Then the sky got awful dark
Gee
And everyone was in bed frantically doing those exercises that get us in
shape for death
Exercises known as "kissing" "fucking" "caressing"
Everyone was unaware that they had been bought
Or that the earth was about to sell them to the moon
For a little light

[UNTITLED]

Fingerprints look like ripples
because time keeps dropping
another stone into our palm.

THE PATRIOTS

at the edge of the city in
the garbagedump where the
trucks never stop unloading
a crazy congregation stumbles
from trashmound to trashheap
they smash their fists down on
whatever's intact they tear
to bits the pitifew items
that have remained whole they
rip everything old clothes
papers cans bones to nothing
with their shining teeth
the enlightened the faithful
every twelve yards one of them
falls and is torn to shreds by
the others at the edge of
the city where there's a line
waiting to join

ANT DODGER

A suicide applicant
Who braces himself out
On a high ledge at noon
While busy peeking down

Noticed an ant crawling
Dottily on the ledge
Right
There near his left toe

Below crowds all pushed
Oblivious babbling
Omniscient like in the movies
Out whooshy doors

But his gaze halt ant
Ant the true ant
He dimly remembers
Not like them

So now
He hesitates
A million stories up
Shifts weight trying

Make his mind up
Distantly deciding
Whether to step
Before he jumps

On it
Or not

RUBBERNECK

Hey Rubberneck
'S what they call me
Rubberneck
In all the streets and alleys

Rubberneckin
I'm just checkin
Diggin everything like a quicksand parade
Ridin herd
On the curbs
Copying down
All the stopsigns in town
Erasing all the ones for walkin

Anywhere a crowd
Is leashed out loud
I'm on the nod to prowl
That's me
You see out stalkin my gawkin

Hey Rubberneck
'S what they call me
Rubberneck
In all the streets and alleys
Rubberneck
But I don't care
Hey what's that goin on over there

Rubberneckin
Inspectin
Where the sirens' screech
Directs my feets
I'm takin a butcher at
Everymeat I meet
Gonna glue my shoes
To the avenues
And my eyelashes to my cheeks

Anywhere a group
Has got into a grope
Hangin on the ropes
I'll poke my periscope
Cause you're my only hope
For some lovin
So step to one side please
Quit shovin
I am a witness for my enemies
I am a witness for my enemies

Hey baby what you
Got to show there
What's shakin down around
Your corners
Let me sneak a peek
I can't be any bolder
I'll watch it all
Right up across your shoulder

Hey Rubberneck
'S what they call me
Rubberneck
On all the mountains
Don't forget the valleys
Rubberneck
Hey what's that I see
Everybody's standin round
And they're lookin down
They're lookin down at me

Rubberneckin
I'm just checkin
Rubberneckin
Hey wait a second
Rubberneck

A LESSON FROM THE ORPHANAGE

If you beat up someone smaller than you
they won't (and histories prove this) tell:

look at those people on the opposite side
of the planet: they want to beat us up but

they're smaller so that's okay. Not okay is
that most of us will die in the war between

them and us, because small equals (and mice
prove this) sneaky: their spies could spirit all

our nuke aids away and we'd never know—
nick our rocket-satellite knockout Star Peace

Comcodes right out of our shrinking pockets,
even our doomsday (the FBI can prove this)

doodads, the ones we mean to use on them,
the rats: and so when they kill us will we

have killed enough of them to win, whose
fist figures bigger in the end? And what's it prove?—

In the Orphanage, hell, even if they do tell
on you there's no one for them to tell it to.

GOLLY MOUNTAIN BLUES

Up on Golly Mountain all the lovers are parked
Wish we could be up there enjoyin the dark
But you don't wanna I'm sorry I come along
Cause you won't stop the car hon all night long

Hairpin turns up and down the mountainside
Hairpin turns drivin like a suicide
I know you ain't to blame but
Our love's about to flame out
Can't you smell the rubber burn
As you keep riding them hairpin turns

When you told me you loved danger I said then I'm your guy [girl]
I been dangerous since I first learned to kiss
Let's go up on Golly and give it a try [whirl]
But when I said I loved it I sure didn't mean this

Hairpin turns up and down the mountainside
Hairpin turns drivin like a suicide
I can't remember your name but
Our love's about to flame out
Can't you feel the floorboards burn
As you keep riding them hairpin turns

I heard about some funny ways that people get their kicks
From runnin round upon the town to gettin hit with whips
But you take the cake my friend you're oddball number one
I admire your nerves but I got some curves where you
could have more fun than these here

Hairpin turns up and down the mountainside
Hairpin turns drivin like a suicide
I guess it's all the same but
Our love's about to flame out
Can't you taste the seat of my bluejeans burn
As you keep riding them hairpin turns

Poor baby I know it ain't your fault it was your mama daddy musta dropped you on your
brake when you was born cause if you don't know that lovin is the deadliest thrill there is you don't know nothin I shoulda known somethin when you picked me up inside the
movie-show the way your windshield wiper kept gettin into my popcorn here let me take
these hairpins outa my hair and let it fall down into your lap don't that make you want to love me and cuddle and lay your head on my soft soft shoulder . . . Soft Shoulder? Hey! Look out!

Hairpin turns up and down the mountainside
Hairpin turns drivin like a suicide
It's a hurty shame but
Our love's about to flame out
Can't you tell my poor heart yearns
But you just keep on riding them hairpin turns
Yes you just keep on riding them
hair-
pin—

Get your tongue off that gaspedal baby
You tryin to love this thing or drive it well then drive it drive it
Just cause you ain't got nothin to live for . . . heck, come to think of it I
ain't got nothin neither
Hey you know somethin? I'm beginning to like it

D10 Bill Knott - Corpse And Beans 0:30

Totally Corrupt (The Dial-A-Poem Poets) Label: Giorno Poetry Systems Catalog#: GPS 008-009 Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation Country: US Released: 1976

[UNTITLED 31-SYLLABLE POEM]

in the country of
the blind everyone I see
is pointing at me—
I knew I should have bought that
pricier deodorant

BAD HABIT

At least once a day,
everyday,
to ensure that my facial
compatibility with God's is nil,
I smile.

FRAGMENT

Because at least one couple is making love
Somewhere in the world at all times,
Because those two are always pressed tightly together,
Hatred can never slip between them
To come destroy us.

THE TRINITY

I don't recall the faith I was born with
I don't know the faith I will die with
all I can do is hope and pray
that the faith I live with
differs from them in every way

POEM

All my soapbubbles dance on daggerpoint.
I throw dice while jacking off and cum snake-eyes.
My enemies list consists of nothing but autographs.

POEM

the pink bubbles seem
redder each time I blow them
vampire bubblegum