Free The Collected Poems of Ted Berrigan by Alice Notley Page B

blood
    Go to the sea, the lake, the tree
    dazzling slim and badly loved
    You are asleep. A lovely light is singing to itself
LXXXVII
    Beware of Benjamin Franklin, he is totally lacking in grace
    This is called “Black Nausea” by seers. (They basted his caption
    on top of the fat sheriff )
    These sonnets are a homage to
    King Ubu.
    Fasten your crimson garter around his servile heart
    With which he pours forth interminably
    The poem of these states        scanning the long selves of
    the shore        and        “gift gift”
    Great black rat packs were running amuck amidst the murk
    of these states        Outside my room
    These sonnets are a homage to myself
    absence of passion, principles, love
    The most elegant present I could get!         (This is called
    “Black Nausea” by seers)
LXXXVIII
A Final Sonnet
    FOR CHRIS
    How strange to be gone in a minute!         A man
    Signs a shovel and so he digs        Everything
    Turns into writing a name for a day
    Someone
    is having a birthday and someone is getting
    married and someone is telling a joke        my dream
    a white tree         I dream of the code of the west
    But this rough magic I here abjure       and
    When I have required some heavenly music         which even now
    I do        to work mine end upon
their
senses
    That this aery charm is for       I’ll break
    My staff       bury it certain fathoms in the earth
    And deeper than did ever plummet sound
    I’ll drown my book.
    It is 5:15 a.m.                                        Dear Chris, hello.

Great Stories of the Chair
     
THE SECRET LIFE OF FORD MADOX FORD
1.
STOP STOP SIX
    Livid sweet undies drawl
    Elevate
    So do we squeal sporty ritual
    Once a great kiss sin tells
    Dance is night
    Later away training melodies dances rues
    Latent traveler on light
    Lays tense all day silky past far deportment
    Says your songs tombs surely rail
    You arrest my faculties, you person             knees descend
    On her part
    Like rain occurs missing the whole point so he tired
    She would say her little ditty of soul yes
    She would say that her circuitous panties descend their
    first voyage
    Her rear less a dress
    This I can’t defeat         This stone slays me
    I go and do that to her
    Her lap opens kisses its tune foils this hurt
    Dance of energy
    They did bounce her
    Her rule was grand it twists like a boulevard
2.
REELING MIDNIGHT
    Impasses come, dear beasts
    Who require these looney airs so long gone from you all
    O all gone to one surly, rude, humiliated
    Let’s shovel out a song and dance      all knew it
    Let’s mosey past them fondled brutes
    Shove a dream of it up our regular day devourings
    I’ll fondle you on home and hang a kiss on yours
    Shall we raise our dead hams
    (Her tranquil nose is a noble dancing vine)
    Don’t hurt it
    Don’t hit it either
    Saying what’s so damn sweet
    I am on trains         they’re all choo-choos
    Ack! The Vampire! Some debut!
    Lower your dress dammit!
    In this tent I’ll untrack or take down some undies
    Anguish I’ll sink thru key naps         a defense
    To be learned one essential day
    Like seals I’m indifferent
    Eat a potato she said you sober All-American
3.
FAUNA TIME
    Liquor troops in deshabillé from blondes a lonely song
    Laming a lean m’sieu like a vessel
    This man hates his aunt so he licks her feet
    Laughing at her brilliant comas of goo
    When addict comforts real
    One sunk leper’s more real
    Lesions are early they fume on her
    In her beastly sleep
    Some Plague!    Heavens!    plagues offer
    Loathsome murder           kill her for me
    Says a weak hero completely wrong his meat leaping around
    Liquor is her price when she sashays          she gouged me a long
    time with fins
    Like in the movies
    One man lassoed her leg’s inner