Puppet X,25 Poem by Jerry Ratch

25



When I dream again
(the invisible things of sleep
attaching themselves to me)
O heart
So immortal –

I can't tell you

Let the flesh ashore
to see what went right

There's got
to be more

Let them lie there
Let them soften

Not trying to move
or hold anything

Let them often hear
your voice, the wind
back before the waves
ever occurred

Vague space memories

The corners of time
in a light rain

* *

The heat comes out
of a door

The walls are ice
The ceiling snow

Blessed be they
who snore

This is all
I know

Once I
was like you

and the puppet came to me
saying, “Look,
I’m going to
live forever, all right
Just take my word
for it
and accept it at that
Now let’s get out
of this car wreck”

He said this
with one hand in the air
Walked through the heat
Locked the door

* *

Thunder, lightning, thunder
I went into my room
and crawled under the bed

I repeated my sins…

“You don't have much time
before you'll
be fooled

The natural clam
shall desert the heart…”

And pure death a thing
from the past
An eerie laughter
across the prairie…

Sometimes
I hear equations, O
Gentle Swans, O Gentleswans
My country sleeps with thee