Uncollected Poems (11): Airplane Poems 1980-1992

(first set)

1
circles on the earth
– somewhere in Kansas –
what do they mean?
I take the circular form to mark
the coming of Messiah
day by day

– but not in Kansas

2
I am so crazy for you
Captain Star
your talk is like my radio
you listen
badly
We walk under the lightning
Captain
& strike it
rich & crazy
This song will bring you to the top

3
he struggles with a song
he can’t dislodge
– or can he? –
“I was alive & stupid
“like your eyes
“sweet angel
“rock my boat
“this is the long road to
“satisfaction

4
the earth of Kansas
is America’s
enduring work of art


(2nd set)

1 A HASID FROM BELZ

with whom I speak
high in the DC-10
& waiting at the door of
Men’s Room
– you from Brooklyn
– yeah
– how many Jews in San Diego
I dunno
can’t count them
lots of Jews

2
he pulls the words from me
my grandfather
a hasid at the court in Radzymin
not Rizhyn
& he knows
the smile acknowledges the fact
– the fact is senseless –
o Belz of Kafka
Belz of Jiri Langer
golden nights

3
now the plane is over Iowa
it blurs
the oranges of California
like the stars in Belz


(3rd set)

ACROSS THE AISLE
Airplane Voices

1
they stopped us
irridem
in spanish
“we’re not tourists
“we’re not here to get drunk”
we stayed in mexico
things happened
it was mexican territory
yours or mine

2
they speak more german than us
they speak german with everybody
he doesn’t speak at all
he mixes all languages
he speaks german with the kids
so many languages
be careful!


(4th set)

1
collar into knot
knot into back of throat
& up through eye

by which to tie you into portions
killing what was left
& what was left of you

ATTENTION do not move the zone
from here to there!

2
each time we strike the cloud
the cloud strikes back

we do the tumble down
& feel our stomachs sliding

softly, into our throats


3 O'HARE FIELD/CHICAGO
The Return

trucks move past planes
& planes past trucks
men stand in orange jackets
stare off into space

inside the cabin
rows of sailor hats & coats

another journey home
to san diego

[These poems were recovered, along with numerous others, for a volume of Uncollected Poems to be published by Mark Weiss and Junction Press.]