T H E N O R T H C O A S T T IM E S E A G L E , F R ID A Y , 10 S E P T E M B E R 1 9 8 2
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HEROES
It p l e a s e s m e n o t a t a l l t h a t
E a c h an d e v e ry w e e k d a y m o rn in g
H e s a u n t e r s w ith h i s s a c k lu n c h
P a s t th e w in d o w w h e r e I s c r i b b l e .
M e, m o r o s e ly m u m b lin g t h e r e ,
H u n g o v e r a n d d i r t y . H im s p i f f y ,
J o v i a l l y p u t ti n g h i s o a r in
A s t h e w ife a n d b a b i e s b e a m .
M O O N SH O T
T h e y h a v e t a k e n th e m o o n f r o m u s .
C lo s e r , it m o v e s f u r th e r a w a y .
T h e f a c e s o f lo v e a r e g o n e ,
re p la c e d by know n an d s te r ile c r a t e r s ,
s t r e w n w ith t h e h a r d w a r e o f o u r p r i d e .
M en h a v e s to p p e d t h e i r s o l i t a r y n ig h t w o r s h ip ,
id o la tro u s now of c h a r ts and d ia ls .
B u t d is t a n c e s t i l l is a ll ,
a n d D ia n a w i l l t a k e v e a g a n c e .
S h e c a n n o t w ith s a f e t y b e p o s s e s s e d ,
m a rk e d and m e a s u re d .
S h o r t- l iv e d th e lu s t th a t h u n ts th e h u n t r e s s .
H e r c h a s tity v io la te d ,
s h e s t r i d e s th e h e a v e n s
w ith a v e n o m e d q u iv e r ,
w a itin g o u t th e c y c le s ,
p l a y i n g w ith h e r p r e y
c o o l l y a l w a y s c o o ll y
r e a d y w ith h e r o w n a p o c a l y p s e
w h e n o u r A tla n tic C ity r e v e ls
a re ended.
E L IZ A B E T H
HOBBS
THE WAIT
T h e s t a r l e s s m o rn in g sk y , s ti l l b la c k ,
h e s i t a t e s a b o v e th e s te p l e s s so u n d of y o u
n o t r e t u r n e d . T o w a rd th e d aw n
n o t h in g m o v e s ; o n ly c r i c k e t s in t h e i r s t i l l n e s s
m u r m u r , n o w a n d t h e n , a n d t e s t in s t a l l i n g a i r
t h e w e t a lo n g t h e i r w in g .
J. H U M P H R E Y
A TOUCH OF BITTERNESS
N i g g e r '. T h e w h ip c r a c k s
S trip e s y o u r b ack
T a k e s y o u f r o m y o u r la n d
S p l i t s y o u f r o m y o u r b lo o d
D e s tro y s y o u r gods
P u t s y o u to w o r k in w h i t e m a n 's l a n d
G iv e s y o u a n e w c u ltu r e
M a k e s y o u r o l l y o u r e y e s in g r a t i t u d e
Y o u h a v e b e e n r i p p e d o ff, N ig g e r '.
B l a n k e t a s s '. T h e w h ite m a n m o v e s a g a i n s t y o u
H e u s e s n a t u r e to c o n q u e r y o u
He tu rn s f ir e a g a in s t you
T h e w in d s a r e e v i l
T h e r i v e r s h a v e e v il
T h e s o il is b a r r e n
T h e a n im a ls a r e ta k e n f ro m you
T h e la n d w h ic h y o u o n c e s h a r e d
Is b o x e d o ff
T h e e a g le is e x tin c t, o r a lm o s t
A n d y o u w i l l liv e th e w h i t e m a n 's w a y
O r d ie
S o c r y , B l a n k e t a s s '.
B u t I, m y r a c e a n d I,
H a v e n e v e r b e lo n g e d
F o r w e a r e th e c r i p p l e s
W ho m a k e th e r i p p l e s in e v e r y r a c e
W e a r e th e o n e s t h e y s a c r i f i c e
T h e o n e s th e C h r i s t i a n s s a v e
A n d t h e n b o x o ff a n d e x c l u d e
A n d w h e n i t c o m e s d o w n to t h e n i t t y g r i t t y
D o w n , d o w n to
E x i s t o r to
N o t e x i s t , to o
A ll a b l e - b o d i e s p e o p le
W ill e i t h e r r u l e , o r
B e s u b d u e d in to s l a v e r y
T o th e p e r f e c t r a c e , n o t
K i l l e d l ik e s l u g s
S l im y
Shaky
S p in e ls s
S y n a p s e le s s
H is to r y le s s
S lu g s
N o t g e n e t i c a l l y d e n i e d t h e v ie w of
The m oon
T he sun
T h e s e a r i n g b e a u ty
O f e a c h g r a in of tim e
( F o r tim e is w h a t w e a ll n e e d )
N ot d e n ie d . . .
I, th e b i g g e s t m i n o r i t y o f a l l ,
I and m y ra c e , a g o d d am n c rip p le .
A RTH U R
HONEYM AN
W e 'v e n e i g h b o r e d th e s a m e b l o c k
F o r y e a r s , b u t I d o n 't k n o w h i s
N a m e a n d h e d o e s n 't k n o w m i n e .
H e ro e s a re abo v e d e ta ils .
from CHANGED
P e n n y w i s e h e r i d e s th e b u s .
I l ik e to t h in k t h a t w h e n h e d r o p s
H is c o i n s i n t o th e b o x I 'm l o o k in g
U p a s th e M u s e u n f o ld s o n e w in g
I s a w a m a n t u r n e d i n to m o n e y ;
H is h e a d b e c a m e a b a n k v a u l t d o o r
in w h ic h t h e w h e e l s w e r e s e e n to h u r r y ,
th e v a l v e s w e r e h e a r d to q u a i n t l y p u r r .
O r a w o r d i s t a k i n g o ff h e r c l o t h e s .
C h a n c e s a r e , h o w e v e r , I t h in k
O f h i s w i f e . If s h e h a s s e c r e t s .
If s h e s m e l l s l ik e m a y o n n a i s e .
T he b r e a s t w as so ft as b ro w n p u rs e le a th e r
in w h ic h t h e b o n e s w e r e s o l i d c o i n .
T h e b u l li o n h e a r t , h e ld f a s t f o r e v e r ,
fe d s to c k s a n d b o n d s th ro u g h c o p p e r v e in s . . .
JO H N
BU CK LEY
A n d l o o k in g d o w n , I s a w , a m a z e d
t h a t th e r e p r o d u c t i v e o r g a n s s e t
in w a x a n d m o s t c o n s p i c u o u s l y p l a c e d ,
w e r e n o t h in g m o r e t h a n c a n c e l l e d c h e c k s .
W HAT IS G O IN G BY
IS EVERYTHING
A t th e e d g e of a c l e a r s t r e a m
g e n e ra tio n s of a ld e r and f ir
f r o m th e b e g in n i n g o f s t o n e s .
A f a i r b r e e z e m o v e s w e s t w ith th e c u r r e n t .
T r o u t th e s iz e of m y f o r e a r m
l i e in d e e p p o o ls f a c i n g u p s t r e a m .
T h is m o rn in g I aw o k e
c le a r-h e a d e d
a s t h e t o p s of p i n e s ,
s p rin g ra in fe ll.
A th r e a d s e w in g s h u t
th e n e e d l e 's e y e .
It i s s u c h a s i m p l e t h in g .
G EO RG E
I envy you m en
s l e e p i n g d e e p w h e n lo v e i s g o n e
fu lly s a te d
e m p tie d
a n d l o s t to d e e p d r e a m s .
I k e e p c o u r t w ith th e n i g h t
a n d l i s t e n to t h a t g o o d s l e e p
w h ile y o u r s p e r m m a k e h e a d lo n g a n d f r a n tic
s e a r c h in m e
th e n d ie o u t o n e by o n e
l i k e s t a r s t h a t b l in k o ff w ith th e d a w n .
A s if f o r th e f i r s t t i m e l a s t n i g h t
I s a w th e s t a r s
s p r e a d a c r o s s th e h e a v e n s a n d I t h o u g h t,
h o w m u c h b e t t e r it w o u ld be
to a d m i t th e s p i r i t s t a r v e s
t h a n t h i s h o l d in g on
a s if t h e s t a r s w e r e n o t w h e r e t h e y a r e
but s tra p p e d upon m y b ack .
F r o m h ig h in a t r e e a t th e s t r e a m ' s e d g e
a n o w l c a l l s , d i v id i n g th e w o r l d .
I k n e e l to r i n s e m y m o u th ,
to b e g th e r i s i n g c o n s t e l l a t i o n s .
JO H N
BU CK LEY
A DEATH IN THE VEGTABLES
T h e m o d e l d a d d y of b la c k g a rd e n s lu g s
p r o v e s a m o r e p o te n t th u m b .
T h e l i m p f i n g e r s on a t h i r t y d o l l a r g lo v e
b l i n k a t m e a s if t h e y b e g g e d ,
" Y o u w o u l d n 't h i t a g l o v e ? "
T h e n u r s e r y p illa g e d ,
t h e i r b lu n t s ta lk s b lig h te d
lik e s ti l lb o r n b a b y b o y s ,
t h e a s p a r a g u s is d e a d .
O ne s h e e p , p o o r f a th e r , b ad c a p ta in ,
a c c u s in g s h a p e s ju m p o v e rb o a rd .
H o l l a n d a i s e a n d g r e e n t h a t c a n n e v e r m e l t in to e a c h o t h e r ,
s a l a d s a n d s o u f f l e s t h a t w ill n o t c o m e to d i n n e r ,
th e b r a g g i n g I w o n 't b e a b le to d o .
D e a th i s g r o u n d s f o r d i v o r c e .
So i s i n f a m y , t h a t lo n g f a r e w e l l .
I s t a l k f r o m th e g a r d e n
t h in k i n g h o w T h o r e a u w o u ld r e a c t .
He knew b e a n s .
I know r e m o r s e .
A s I s l u m p in to a p l a s t i c la w n c h a i r
to m a k e w h a t I f e e l in to b u t t e r ,
a b e n t - o v e r m a n w h o lo o k s
t h e a g e o f th e r o c k s in th e g a r d e n
a n d d r a g g i n g a h o r n y o ld k n o u t
o f a b r a n c h I s e e is a p lo w
c o m e s an d s q u a ts b e s id e m e .
H is h e a d a n d h is l o i n s a r e w r a p p e d
in r a g s t h a t e x p o s e a l m o s t a l l
o f w h ic h t h e r e i s v e r y l i t t l e .
In s c r a p i n g t o n e s o f a d r y c r e e k b e d ,
" H o w f o r t u n a t e y o u a r e to l iv e w h e r e i t r a i n s ,
w h e r e t h e r e a r e s o m a n y i n s e c t s f e e d i n g th e s o i l ,
so m u ch le a fm e a l and dung,
a n d th e g r a s s a n d th e w e e d s a c t
a l l y e a r r o u n d l i k e a w e d d i n g ."
G rie v in g fo r a s p a r a g u s ,
I d o n 't t h in k to h a n d h im o n e
o f th e c o ld b e e r s I 'v e t a k e n f r o m th e f r i d g e
to i r r i g a t e m y s e l f o n to t h i s p a g e .
JO H N
BU CK LEY
ABBE
H ELEN
PA T T I
ROCKEY M O U N T A IN
HORROR SHOW
We a r e a im e d s tr a ig h t at e a c h o th e r —
f ie r c e - e y e d , h o t-fla n k e d ,
s o w e ll m a t c h e d , s o w e l l m a d e ,
b u t d riv e n h a rd til d e e p h o rn c r a c k s
in t w i s t e d c o l l i s i o n .
Is t h e r e n o e n d to t h i s h a r s h c r a s h i n g ?
D o th e g e n e s p e r m i t n o g e n t l e r to u c h ?
Z A BETH
HOBBS
LEFT H A N G IN G
T h e o ld m a n 's
h e a r t a tta c k
l e f t h im h a n g i n g ,
b e t w e e n th e b e d r a i l a n d b e d .
T h e c lo th v e s t
re s tra in t
s t i l l t i e d s n u g ly
in p l a c e .
A t f i r s t g lim p s e
o n e m ig h t im a g in e
s tra n g u la tio n .
He w a s c o ld , an d
t h a t d i d n 't lo o k g o o d
e ith e r .
A ll l e s s th a n d i g n i f i e d .
S y n o n y m o u s ly ,
D e a th a n d D ig n ity
d i c t a t e d th e y
u n l o o s e th e b o d y .
L e t it c o m e
to r e s t o n th e f l o o r .
T h e y th e n l a i d o u t
t h i s l if e e n d e d
w ith o u t w i t n e s s ,
w ith c e r e m o n i o u s
c r i s p w h ite s h e e t s . H u sh '.
" W h a t 's th e s o n 's n u m b e r ?
T e l l h im w h e n w e l a s t
s a w th e o ld m a n , h e w a s
s le e p in g s o u n d ly ."
L. V A N D E R
ZANDEN