three

COLLECTED VISITS

It’s night, and I wake to the knowledge
of all that I can’t neighbor, and am trying to
stay open for the Opening is so close,

           and closing,

and a few less far

           I call friends—
and get up “next to
their freedom.”

It is a large family,

this trying to be while them, and “dream
the drama of our time, which is everyone,
everywhere….”

           and share (what is
sharing?) walls
with, and care for
their messages,

and open doors for

           I would persist

where strangers are
expected.

LONG BRANCH

Town

of my birth, it was August of that year when I first heard of

People.

Mankind, you are. Mankind you are
no most important parent.

FOUND POEM

“Among things with souls, find me”

“I am good (or I am bad), find me”

On earth, where the cost
of anything is
the amount of existence
spent on it—

love,   or which is the same,

that each one of us came here
and changed

       the conditions

of knowing us.

y Quotes by Amiri Baraka and George Oppen