The Collected Poems of Ted Berrigan (21 page)

space??

Lord I wonder just exactly what can happen oh Hello, Pill . . .

It’s a terrific spelling problem there’s two kinds of L’s (on the typewriter)

and
that
is a good example of the way some people

think

(
NOVEL
)

This here now is what I’m trying to say. It’s a sonnet. A kind of formal
BEAN

SPAS

M

She goes all over the place, eh?

ROOT                     RAINBOW                HA-HA

She’s so fine:

You Didn’t Even Try

FOR JIM CARROLL

(2) photographs of Anne

80 years old

lovely, as always

a child

under an old fashion

duress

A Bibliography of Works

by Jack Kerouac

A white suit

and a black dress

w/high-necked

mini-skirt

strolling

two by two

across         a       brown            paper             bag

above                 The Relation Ship

Warm white thighs                    & floating bend                gia pronto

my heart is filled with light

al curry

this

Life

that is

one, tho

the Lamps

be many                      & proud                        & there’s a breeze sort of

lightly moving the top

of yr head

&                                 I’m going

way over

the white

skyline

& I’ll do

what I want to

& you can’t keep me here

No-how
.

& the streets are theirs now

& the tempo’s

&        the space

It’s New Year’s Eve, of 1968, & a time

for Resolution.

I don’t like Engelbert Humperdink.

I love the Incredible String Band.

The War goes on

& war is Shit.

I’ll sing you a December song.

It’s 5 below zero in Iowa City tonight.

This year I found a warm room

That I could go to

be alone in

& never have to fight.

I didn’t live in it.

I thought a lot about dying

But I said
Fuck it
.

TO JIM CARROLL

Tough brown coat

Tie with red roses

Green cord vest

Brown stripes

on soft white

shirt

white T-shirt

White man,

Tomorrow you die!

“You kidding me?”

Light up

smoke

burn a few holes in the blanket

Burn a few holes in the Yellow blanket

burning

smoking

reading

It’s important not

to back out

of the mirror:

You will be great, but

You will be queer.

It’s a complication.

Inside

The homosexual sleeps

long past day break

We won’t see him

awake

this time around.

Green     (grass)

A white house                                 brown

mailbox

(Friendly pictures)

TELEVISION
                                                               snow

(that’s outside)

No-mind

No messages

(Inside)

Thanksgiving                       1969

FOR FRANNY WINSTON D. SEPT 27TH, 1969

Last night’s congenial velvet sky

Conspired that Merrill, Jayne, Deke, you & I

Get it together at Mr. Flood’s Party, where we got high

On gin, shots of scotch, tequila salt & beer

Talk a little, laugh a lot, & turn a friendly eye

On anything that’s going down beneath Ann Arbor’s sky

Now the night’s been let to slip its way

Back toward a mild morning’s gray

A cool and gentle rain is falling, cleaning along my way

To where Rice Krispies, English muffins, & coffee, black

Will make last night today. We count on that, each new day

Being a new day, as we read what the Ann Arbor News has to say.

TO ALICE NOTLEY

My heart is confirmed in its pure Buddhahood

But a heavy list to starboard

makes me forget

From time to time.

Breath makes a half turn

Downward & divides:

it doesn’t add up

2 plus 2 equals 1:               It’s fun, yes,

But it isn’t true, &

I can’t love you

this way.

2.

So, what’ll I do, when you

are far away

& I’m so blue?

I’ll wait.

& I’ll be true some day.

3.

That’s all well & good. But

What happens in the mean time?

Jim Dine’s toothbrush eases two pills

activity under the clear blue sky; girl

for someone else in white walk by

it means sober up, kick the brunette out of bed

going out to earn your pay; it means out;

bells, ring; squirrel, serve a nut; daylight

fade; fly resting on your shoulder blades

for hours; you’ve been sleeping, taking it easy

neon doesn’t like that; having come your way

giving you a free buzz, not to take your breath away

just tightening everything up a little; legs

pump; head, wobble; tongue, loll; fingers, jump;

drink; eat; flirt; sing; speak;

night time ruffles the down along your cheek

The front is hiding the rear

The heart of a man

is not as great as an amphitheater

Spinoza is the one who threw a pass to Lou Spinoza

There is no death

there is only dissolution

love of hate

is totally great

me, I disguise myself as a man

in order to laugh

I have always loved

a serious jackoff scene

infantile paralysis is the beginning of wisdom