Absolute Trust in the Goodness of the Earth Read Online Free PDF Page B

women’s
Framed
Faces
Have inspired
Challenged
Nourished me
In every way:
    (Although I had not noticed, before my dream, their
resemblance, as close as twins.)
    One contained
Righteous
In her garden
My mother;
The other an Outlaw
In a smoky
Nightclub
Lady Day.

We Are All So Busy
    We are all so busy.
    We say: I am on fire
To see you
But next week
I’ll be away
In Boston
& the
Week after that
I have
An important
Meeting
In Kalamazoo.
    Ah, Kalamazoo.
    A place
I spend
Far
Too much
Time in
Myself.

The Backyard, Careyes

The Backyard, Careyes
    Autumn 2001
    Lying grateful
    Under a tree
Wind blows.
    Yellow leaves
Cover me.
    Gold
    Leaf shower.

Practice
    Though
Like you
I am awake
At least
Some
Of the
Time
    Deep
Slumber is far
From
Unknown
    I am
A
Practicing
Alice.

Dreaming the New World in Careyes
    Every night
While
I dream
The New World
Right next door
All night long
A raucous
Gathering
Of idle
White
Men
Is intensely
Partying.
    Their music
So loud
It more than
Hurts
My ears
It wounds
My heart.
Their cries of pleasure
So disdainful
Of my
Comfort
I pull the covers
Over my
Head.
They do not listen
When I advise
Stopping. They do not want
To acknowledge
I am
The shadow
That has always
Lived
Next door.
    The changes in
The world
They sense
Rather
Than know. Yet they
& we
The dreamers
Are real.
    Much of earth
Is enduring
This sleepless
Night.
    The night
Of our
Transition.
    Of bitter
Revelers, even their play
Turned to war—if only against
Their scribbling, sleepless
Neighbor—
Unhappy
But
Determined
To disrupt
The dream
Of peace.

Patriot
    If you
Want to show
Your love
For America
Love
Americans
Smile
When you see
One
Flowerlike
His
Turban
Rosepink.
    Rejoice
At the
Eagle feather
In a grandfather’s
Braid.
    If a sister
Bus rider’s hair
Is
Especially
Nappy
A miracle
In itself
Praise it.
How can there be
Homeless
In a land
So crammed
With houses
    &
Young children
Sold
As sex snacks
Causing our thoughts
To flinch &
Snag?
    Love your country
By loving
Americans.
    Love Americans
.
    Salute the soul
& the body
Of who we
Spectacularly &
Sometimes
Pitifully are.
Love
us
. We are
The flag.

Because Light Is Attracted to Dark
    Because light is attracted
To dark
As dark is
To light
Let’s face
It
You’re
Fucked.
    What can I tell
You
Lie back
Enjoy it.
    You’re about
To lose
That lockpicker
Nose
You
Always
Hated
The predator
Eyes
The
Stringy
Hair
You’re always
Shaking out
In mixed
Company
To reassure
Yourself.
    About
To lose
The
Unbecoming
Tendency
To strut into
Other peoples’
Lands
Claim
Everything
As your
Own
Except
The sweetness
Of dark
Angels
Welcoming
You
Home.

When Fidel Comes to Visit Me

When Fidel Comes to Visit Me
    Usually
When Fidel comes
To visit me
He helps with all the household
Chores. I am surprised and not surprised
To see him so at home
In my kitchen
Sweeping or mopping
The floor
Doing laundry and worrying
Out offensive smells
Lurking
In my
refrigerador
.
    Sometimes he looks more like Ortega
Than like himself:
How do you make yourself
So short I ask
And brown
As well?
    He shrugs. So tall responding
To this question
The tops of his shoulders
Are out of sight.
    In my dreams I am an average size
And so I was last night.
Once again Fidel appeared
This time gray & much
Fatigued.
I put him and his aide
Who looked as tired as he
To bed at once. And I began
To sweep my house, mop my kitchen
Floor, clear my refrigerator
And pantry too
Of all unpleasantness.
While I was doing this
They slept.
    And then
Just as I stood aside
Admiring my handiwork
 (I had waxed and polished all the
Furniture & cooked paella as well!)
The two of them appeared:
The aide relaxed, and seeming
Somewhat
Fatter.
Fidel refreshed, looking about
For the gifts he’d
Brought as he’d staggered
Upon my porch
A night and a day
Ago;
Grinning
Showing all his teeth
Which seemed to be
All there
& wanting to dance.
    In dreams it is said missing teeth signify loss of dignity
or “face.” It is said Fidel cannot