Out of some place they came
Out of any place they came
And everywhere out of place
Making the whole world out of place:
Kicking monster, old-age monster,
Yaitse, eye monster, rolling monster.
And that’s not all, there are
Monsters nobody ever saw.
Old man said:
Pretty soon
They gonna monster us all up —
Pretty soon, mind,
Be no more people.
Some of the people were
Always up to no good,
Making up evil games.
Pretty soon they made some monsters.
Oh, women, women!
What did you need so badly,
What midnight things did you practice?
Now what will become of your own children?
Oh, men, men!
What did you want so much,
Why did you never stop?
Now what will become of your own children?
She jumped up high but fell into a hole
As deep as night, as dark as low.
She climbed back out, it took all day.
By then her friends had gone away:
Some to build,
Some to earn,
Some to gather things to burn.
Some to work,
Some to school,
Some to follow the golden rule.
She laughed, and got on out of there.
But she kept the hole as a souvenir.
The first people came up, they say,
Up through four worlds,
Up through a hollow reed, they say,
Up to this world.
When they arrived
This world was dark
Then someone said
It will not always be this way.
The clouds shone
Then birds came, talking loud.
Sun took hold the mountain
And leaped into the sky.
Day came
Then the waters rose in mist.
Spider-woman caught a fly
To celebrate dawn.
I wanted some ice cream
Look what I got:
Rodents ’round a big milk pot.
(Do I want mice cream? I do not!)
I asked for chocolate chips
So how
Did I get a gooey garbage scow?
(A chocolate ship? No, thanks, not now!)
That’s two wishes gone, and just one left.
I wish this genie wasn’t deaf!
Old snake
Never stays around long.
He knows someone will tell that story
How he lost his legs.
Listen, so our lamp
goes out – it just means
there was someone needed light
more than us; it just means
we had enough.
Maybe
that light went to someone
underground, who now sees
the cave of wonders she
was stumbling through before;
or else a midnight thief
is about to be discovered;
or maybe the place where
it’s noon right now just got
a little bit brighter.
Anyway, you and I,
we both know there’s really
no such thing as the dark.
One ought not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediment. But then again,
Let us be reasonable, dear. I find,
Though minds be true, still bodies may present
Some difficulties – and, in point of fact,
Impediments there are, though you admit
Them not. Let’s not mince words: putting all tact
Aside, we both are freaks: I am a midget;
You, my love, are grossly fat. That’s just
The way of it, there is no blame. However,
After all our trials, I think you must
Admit some things just can’t be done, whatever
Minds may think of it. With this in view,
My body’s left you, though my mind’s still true.
Fly sang his death song
All afternoon, mourning sky
Beyond his reaching.
III.
It is a dragon that swallows the moon.
A dragon delivers the rising sun in its jaws.
Knowing nothing of despair or love,
While its heart remains hidden it cannot be killed.
Bag of Anything 