before i get started, the

before i get started, the audience
twitching and snorting, nudged
smelling of day old stains–
i wish they’d settle down
collapse their unfolding limbs
enrage their desires into a simple quiescence–
your nihilistic lingerings prevent me
though i wish it were not so
keep me from speaking to the assembled
now i notice the frayed unravelling
the damped and sputtering thoughts
while Horatio shines his lamplit upon me
graying sweat slides away
i’m beached on the lectern
gasping, the mummers getting louder
picture my parchment skin, backlit
the ghoul-light of the projected
daguerrotype saps the color from the hall
holding my hand, just so, fingers sprayed
thin hair on chin, waggling so
feel that lower lip quiver and dance
deep moan rising from deep in the belly
damnable electrics project the flaw
hear it echo, bouncing on the walls

very soon, now, the whole

very soon, now, the whole bagger’s crashing down
it’s having a certain deleterious effect
a switching to laudanum after months on spiced green tea
for fear and cattiness, the fiddler plays, urging
highstep, dance, and figure. keep the cradled crowd from clapping
tinny as an eardrum set on the calliope months of space
just don’t speak when all the words come crashing in,
they will you know, come crashing in.
and then the world will open like a proud beggar.
fist raised and open, holding gleaming coins to clutch
hurricanes are on their way and gleaming
find the glimmering path and stop your maundering,
col-parr cal-perr van diggledy mopster
i have a small self to barter with, here’s me.
for all my self, here’s something shiny.
operate the painless sign and cut its arms away,
keep its feet from chopping on the block
or clogging their fast way, flown downstreet and up
by creating a cornucopia of words on which to feast, what then?
fool, tell the truth when you stand on your spongebox!
don’t let those deepsea dwellers have all the stuff!
keep on trying when all you want to do is sleep
sleep and sleep some more.