Literarisches Events (in and around Lawrence KS)

  • PATRICIA LOCKWOOD. Lawrence. Thursday, September 11, 7:00 p.m., Spooner Hall, KU Campus.
  • PATRICIA LOCKWOOD. Lawrence. Friday, September 19, 7:00 p.m. Lawrence Public Library. Sponsored by Raven Bookstore.
  • DENNIS ETZEL, JR. & RACHEL CROSS. Lawrence. Thursday, September 25, 7:00 p.m., Raven Bookstore, 6 E. 7th St.
  • TONY TRIGILIO. Lawrence. Thursday, Oct. 2, 4:00 p.m., English Room, Kansas Union, KU Campus. FREE.
  • CALEB PUCKETT & JUSTIN RUNGE. Lawrence. Thursday, October 16, 7:00 p.m., Raven Bookstore, 6 E. 7th St.
  • BEN LERNER. Kansas City, MO. Thursday, October 23, 7:00 p.m., Epperson Auditorium, Vanderslice Hall on the KCAI campus, 4415 Warwick Blvd.
  • KRISTIN LOCKRIDGE & ROBERT DAY. Lawrence. Thursday, December 4, 7:00 p.m., Raven Bookstore, 6 E. 7th St.

Friday, April 5, 2013

In Which I Travesty a Canonical Roman Poem

 
1

Sweet cheap wine, taste
with woodruff and berries and fingers

blood-red tulpen    snow-white, too
not snow-white snow –
woo-hoo     woo-hoo

Tantalizing green sets off
redbud seams in draws –

(It’s only natural to love the new
(those who get old r creepy

So black or fair me laddie-o
the ladies all come courtin’
Corinna fair and Paddy-o
with Lycidas are sportin’ –

(woo-hoo, &c.)

Birdy-snake / birdy-snake / birdy-snake
over-under-over-under-over-und
fluttering parti-colored spokes
All that happens tomorrow &
tomorrow,
woo-hoo.

When we play the poem down again,
half-empty or half-full,
then half nothing,
the maypole ribbons, guy-wires

of th’universal antenna, the dick,            
wind down, alas, as well. 
All’s well            ah well,
Woo-hoo.



2

Finally, a toasty breeze!  instead of
freezing my ass off in a fricking gale –
Flowery foresters are out, I’m out,
everyone’s out to each other,
fast in a bass boat or walkin the dog

Cytherean Venus and the Nymphs,
decked out as hippie chicks, play
an outdoor gig – or some Ultimate –
while her sucker husband
has the day shift in the boiler room

nobody wears lilac, myrtle –
none of that sissy stuff 'round here –
but if they did, they’d do it now.
Jesus, stop sacrificing for once
in your life!  It’s nice – play ball!

Soon enough the ump of all
will call you out at home    hence
delayed gratification means an ox-eye,
moron.     So: retire immediately, Joe –
before you retire for good,

a weirdo ghost, to a flickering home
from whose bourn you don’t get back
your winnings, winings, whinings,
or self.  Nothin but sixes and tens
then – and no randy dallying, sure.