William J. Barnum Performs Three Poems

Nothing

street window

inside out
is outside in
no matter which way

scouring tin
out and in
harmonize with a drink of gin
and abstinence will surely win
if we should swallow all our sin!

loud as tin
and soft as cotton
old days easily forgotten
remembered on our walls
all rotten
deceased!
before we were begotten

which ringers of the final bell
will never cease their sickness well
as much of gold is shining in
and beams of sun are turning back
as sun is lighting night with black

and all will vanish down a well


Jazz

cabbage
the light switch
no change
small range
perfected perspective
screaming history
nearer vexation than beaches born to waves
cypress to the third power
cats along faceless argumentative gardens
explode!
congratulations
antlers the roses
wall capture knives!
expectorate flower petals from craniums
inhale dove wings
relegate cliffs to monstrous hanging
a bed of nails for survivors of raw trails
rain rested alley of my thigh
climb
where i sigh


I Write

i write
afternoon into night
music to fright
feet into flight
systems to scatter
rules do not matter
coats empty sleeves
trees without leaves
please come back
return
everyone gone that i knew
hasten the stew
mix
who was there?
somewhere in air
stay alive!
nothing survives
carve into stone
so when not here
even though far
must fasten diffuse
into crowd of myself
all of them
i