KEN RUMBLE
IT'S REALLY HUMAN OF YOU
The moon's not right
Mars close and listening
quiet Not now not Mao
The watch tower in
shade evenings
The road spread out
and evening A road
without middle
one step The parrot's caw
and prance curse the (deckhands) give them
the bird Set the watch starboard
Stupid Bored and staring
across the moon sea wake the clank
rises from below Pull in close
as owls when the wind is up
it brings rain black banks of
clouds and blades of
rain First the wind then
thunder Out now out
now there are tongues and tails below
thick as thighs hungry
Take the day while you can
keep right on the plank
the walkway doesn't owe you
anymore than the shore
Who doesn't
see – this close – eyes?
silver roads? Where deserts
appear sailors rest
+++
FROM KEY BRIDGE
18.v.2000
The last bridge to Virginia in city limits.
Georgetown's end: roads,
store fronts slide
into unruly
city forest
and go
((opposite
Anacostia.
The bridge to 66 and NoVa suburbs,
traffic's push-me-pull-me full
of Saab, Lexus, Benz and red
flashes. Getting out of this
city's always difficult.
--
(others:
pause,
entrance, no
place exists crossed
a minute – only
notable in traffic reports
(whup, (whup, (whup
(the helicopter
Around the bridge is
moving, bridge
still.