T H E N O R T H C O A S T T IM E S E A G L E , A P R I L 1987
P A G E 13
AMERICA
F o r s o lo n g y o u w e r e n a i v e ,
a g i r l w ith e v e r y t h i n g to o f f e r
r e a d i n g lo v e a n d f o r t u n e
lik e a m a p on y o u r b e d .
A m e r ic a , w h e r e is a r t d e c o ?
D o n 't y o u r e m e m b e r ?
I to o k y o u to N e w Y o r k a n d P a r i s .
O th e s h e e n y o u r s i l k b l o u s e t h r e w b a c k
w h e n o u r g o o d b y e s b le w l ik e l i g h t
d o w n th e h a l l w a y o f th e p a s t !
W hy a r e t h e s e s h e e t s s o g r e y ?
A n d h o w d id w e e n d u p in C l e v e l a n d
w a t c h in g t h e n e w s a n d r e r u n s ?
W ho p i n c h e d th e s u g a r e d r o s e
F r o m th e b i r t h d a y c a k e ?
A m e r ic a , I w a n te d to t e l l y ou
t h a t th e t r u e e y e o f th e e a r t h
is w a t e r . N o w t h e s e t r u t h s g l o a t
lik e th e u p tu r n e d b e lly o f a f is h .
A n d w h e re is o u r h i s t o r y ?
A ll t h a t r e m a i n s a r e t h e n a m e s o f c a r s :
F a ir la n e , Im p a la , V e n tu ra —
e m p ty , s u p e rflu o u s g e s tu r e s
r e m in is c e n t of a v irtu e lo s t.
T h e r o m a n c e of th is c o u n try
i s c o m m e r c e , th e b l u s h
on y o u r c h e e k s is g o n e ,
a n d n o w y o u 'r e a m a n i k i n
w h o a g a i n s t th e n e w s u n
s k e tc h e s a g e s tu r e of p a rd o n .
kalynn
M ARK
IR W IN
REAGONOMICS?
A N A C T O R , W IT H IN H IS C R A F T , IS A N A R T I S T .
T H E P L A Y E R C R E A T E S V E R S I M IL I T U D E — D I R E C T S A N D P R O D U C E S IT
T H E S O R R Y T R U T H IS C A N V A S A N D B A L S A W O O D .
T H E S P E C T A T O R R E L A X E S A N D E N JO Y S T H E IL L U S IO N -
B U T , R E F L E C T IN G U PO N T H E F A K E R Y —
W A L K S O U T B E F O R E T H E C O N C L U S IO N .
K A TH LEEN
STEV EN S
PO LITICAL SONG
R ead y a s w e e d s , c o rru p tio n c o n s p ire s
t o c a t c h u s h a lf w a y b e t w e e n h a l l a n d s t a i r
w h e r e s m u g l i t t l e p r o m i s e s f o llo w l ik e c h o i r s
a n d o d o r s o f c o m p r o m i s e p e r f u m e th e a i r .
A lr e a d y to m o r r o w a r r i v e s lik e a tr u c k
w h o s e t i r e s a r e f l a t , w h o s e f u e l p u m p is s h o t .
W e 'r e c a l l i n g p u r e w o m e n w i t h o u t a n y lu c k ;
w e 'r e s t u c k w ith th e s t o c k fu n d w e s h o u l d n 't h a v e b o u g h t.
thought TH #
6^'ai
O c to b e r w ill b la c k e n , N o v e m b e r w ill c ro w ,
l e a v i n g o u r m o b s t e r s m u r d e r e d in b e d
u n t i l th e p l e a b a r g a i n d e s c e n d s a s a lo w
p r e s s u r e s y s t e m a d d r e s s e d f r o m th e c o p s to th e F e d s .
K A T H R Y N C H A M B E R L A IN
W h en f a s h i o n r e t u r n s w ith th e g n a w in g o f s p r i n g
a n d m o r a l s h a v e c h a n g e d t o th e w h im o f d e s i g n e r s ,
w e 'l l lo o k in th e c l o s e t s a n d n o t f in d a t h in g ,
r e s ig n o u r c o m m is s io n s , s h ip o u t on a l in e r .
FROGS ON THE ROAD
W IL L IA M
LOGAN
A f t e r tw o d a y s o f r a i n
t h e f r o g s a r e o n th e m o v e ,
s e a r c h in g fo r m a te s
a n d g o o d e g g - la y in g p o o ls .
T he ro a d
l i e s in th e w a y .
M y h e a d l i g h t s c a t c h th e s m o o t h w h ite b e l l i e s
o f t h o s e c r u s h e d b y k i d s in t h e i r 4 X 4 s ,
w h o s w e r v e t o h i t t h e m a n d k e e p c o u n t;
an d th o s e s m a s h e d by th e ir f a th e r s ,
c o m in g h o m e f r o m th e s w in g - s h if t,
t o o t i r e d to c a r e .
I t 's a q u i c k d e a t h a s t i r e s c r u n c h o v e r :
a n e x p lo s io n of lig h t a n d th e n
th e d a r k n e s s .
F r o g l e g s f o r c r o w s in th e m o r n i n g .
S o m e , b a c k l e g s p a s t e d to th e p a v e m e n t ,
t r y to d r a g t h e m s e l v e s t o w a r d
t h e c a c o p h o n o u s c h o r u s o f c r o a k i n g b e y o n d th e r o a d .
T h e n th e n e x t c a r c o m e s .
" W e ll," y o u c a n s a y ,
" i t 's a s h o r t l if e f o r f r o g s a n y w a y ."
I d r i v e s lo w th o u g h
and dodge
as m any as I can.
JA M E S
DOTT
J IM B L A I R