two

Lewis Warsh

i want a wake falling down drunk walking
barefoot on 23rd and park ave hugged by
B's string beads at her windows all those colors
how we step out into what's ours it's the
first stride aren't we all running cartoon
mouthy skeletons knocking bones at our back
you were intense as i knew you modeled that
your message make it quicker in words your
instruction speed nyc how fast the clunkers
track down fifth or east river drive or west
river past the splintered wooden docks where
all of us sun ourselves naked by the river swells
how to live without clothes cover how to run
on skin to the ground pores sucking poisons
delights in all that to spit out the mouth talk
write there's that life tell me show me my
body will let you in there's shelter i am compelled
to make a sanctuary where you print your hand
i ache to know what you're about how did you
do that how did you show us to do that

Gone

can we make ourselves vacant open for impression
let the self go hurting all the time shoulder knee is
it my back again there’s a state there’s release skin
soft thinking like that eyes glassy focused something
will happen beauty sits on a leaf or floats in the canal
words syncopate or do not when written they string
child’s piano tin tinkle pluck kerplunk can it be a flute
what instrument we say voice quiver Coltrane or
Miles the ballads yes but there’s the wait to hear the
space opened who are you i will try to see you all of
you i am inside far as i can go here’s looking at you kid
what Lewis did