Wednesday, March 16, 2011

I feel like a bag of bones

I feel like a bag of bones
an hommage to William Shakespeare (1516-1564)
and Allen Ginsburg (1926-1997)




To die, to sleep —
To sleep — perchance to dream. ...
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause ...




I feel like a bag of bones

a bag of bones, the bones of my dead

freed [now] of dread -- except for my dead,

I'm alone with dread --

[even] dread of the visit to come

dread of all we've left undone --

me too! -- to feed the unfed.



O dear dead, the word kisses your face,

hear the words and relish embrace

when given sweet dreams

the bone-bag will split at the seams ...

whoever you were, whoever you are

he is not far




and comes to your foes

freed not to oppose

the teacher who's paid off your debt.

No sweat. No sweat, he absorbs your debt.




Go into death with your religions or none

go into death, naked, leaving here

your bag of bones, no more drones [and groans]

no more dreadful tones --

you're almost home.




-- Albert Gedraitis©March9,2011


This is a test version -- i'm not sure i want
the words enclosed in brackets to remain
in the final. Tom Brouillette, choreographer
and poetry-theare performer, may be presenting
this at a Food and Rent party for me to test
with a small select audience in the near
future. Woud you come to experience my new
poem? ... bearing small gifts of food and money
for rent? That woud be so nice!