soundteller

ocean distills in drips of
wood brass steel animal vibrating
as the teller felt
warmth and light in dark
shape
islands into whales
seahorses into mares into colts
birds and fire
notes dying dancing step
turn toward
mountains diving down into sea
shifter
running with tiger soaring walls
flickering cave

sculpture and symphony hall at sunrise, preston and howard streets, baltimore

(marin alsop began leading the baltimore symphony orchestra in 2007)

mountains of freak

i thought they might stay but they didn’t
fortytrillion oxygenflowers suddenly exploding
shards roaring through me
burning me toward sun
laughingsuffering vaporized
sinking floating swirling
theyrwithme iamwiththem
remaking painjoy in lonely

time

space

touch and touch deeply thems you love

and that will be that

from mount freaky deaky at sunrise
(from some places in some cities you can see a thousand years)

copitas

morning shadows breakfast
sun extinguishing electric street
smogashen dew briefsoothing
nothing despair nothing
slow anthrosuicide prevention
ringing phone
eggs runningintotoast
tableset edgeswiped
saucers sweeping in orbitspinning
blackcoffee whiteporcelain bread orangemarmalade
stay and drinkwithme
insomnia
because nothing rejoice
inour nohurry pleasantlighted cleancafe

charles and fayette at sunrise
(after continuing direct action in city restaurants that started at hoopers restaurant at charles and fayette streets in 1960, the maryland general assembly passed a law permitting the city and several other jurisdictions to bar segregation in public places in 1963)

in the land of land jobbers

in the expensive dirty muddy town
every prayer and petition for the kings majesty
was henceforth omitted.
thoughts turned to france.
small pox was precluded and five million dollars emitted.
they wondered whether the people would eat bread or drink whiskey.
royal portraits were hung upside down.
slaves and convicts worked
while idle sons lived like princes betting on horses, cocks and cards.
general washington
was provided with whatever he may want wherever he may be.
until our unhappy differences are ended

liberty at sunrise
(the continental congress met in baltimore for three months in 1776 and 1777 at a house on baltimore and liberty streets while philadelphia was under threat of british invasion)