LISTEN THEY’RE WAITING

THE GOOD DO-ERS

THEY SEE YOU AS THE TICKET

THEIR INSTRUMENTS SHARPENED

LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION:

THEATRE, DIDN’T YOU KNOW?

NO EQUITY CARD NEEDED.

THE BOARDS WILL CREAK

WITH YOUR AMATEUR TREAD–

BE ON MARK, EFFICIENT–

NO ADDED FLOURISHES

NO EXAGGERATTED FACES–

KNOW YOUR LINES

BE STOICAL, BE MILD

MERGE WITH THE BACKGROUND

DELIVER YOUR MESSAGE

MOVE ON–

BEND AT THE KNEE

EXEUNT STAGE LEFT–

CAST PARTY YOUR MEMORY

WILL BE CELEBRATED

AS THE PROMISE OF A NEW VOICE

SILENCE IS ALL–

THE CURTAIN FALLS!

MASTER CLASS CELEBRATING

NOT KNOWING TO SAY

THE LIPS WERE STIFF–

A CREASE FORMED–

VERTICAL ON THE UPPER–

THEN WITH STOIC TIME

A VERITABLE CRATER

LINED WITH GETTING THROUGH.

DON’T TAKE IT WRONG

THE HEART BEAT ON

AT PLODDING PACE

GOOD FOR THE LONG TRIP

AND RETURN TICKET

SAVED A LITTLE ON THAT–

ECONOMY A MUST,

LIFE BEING A JUGGLE

OF FINITE ENERGIES–

GOOD TO BE REALISTIC

THE WORLD WASN’T ALL YES–

SPOILED FOLK NEVER LEARNED “NO”

BUT HERE THE LESSON WAS FIRM

THE WORLD WASN’T EASY ON THE SOFT–

SURVIVORS GOT THE HARD SHELL

LIKE ANCIENT TORTOISES

BLINKING MYOPICALLY IN SETTING SUNS.

HARD SHELL HIDEAWAYS

JUST HOW PARTICULAR?

THE PATTERNED LINE

TRIANGULATION NEAT

HYPOTHENUSE & SLOPE

A RAMP OF MOMENTUM

A CIRCLE COLUMN ROLLS

DOWN WITH GRAVITY

ACCELERATING OUT OF SIGHT

INTO THE MERGE POINT

OF PARALLEL LINES

ON A BLUE VIOLET HORIZON.

OVER THERE MATISSE

TEACHES WATERCOLORS

WHILE HERE MOORE

BUILDS STUDIES PHAROAHIC

BETWEEN THEM IN RECTANGLES

NESTLE ENGRAVERS & SKETCH ARTISTS

SMALL FEE, BIG CANVAS

SOMETHING FOR THE MISSUS

AN AGENT HAWKS FOR PICASSO

MY CHALK STICK SUSPENDED

IN SMOGLESS GEOMETRIC SPACE.

THIS WAY INFINITY & NOTHINGNESS!

SMOGLESS GEOMETIC SPACE

NOW AS TO AFFECT?

HOW DID YOU APPEAR?

GAUNT, GRAY, LACKING LARGE–

INDEED. WHAT ELSE?

A SLIGHT SHUFFLE OF THE SHOES–

AHA, SHOES DISSOLVING.

GO ON…

THERE WAS A NOTE DROPPED–

GOOD GOD! WHAT DID IT SAY?

HELP! I’VE BEEN FRAMED.

THAT’S IT?

NO, ACTUALLY AN ASTERISK–

YES, YES, WITH FOOTNOTE?

IN TINY BLOCK LETTERING, YES!

WELL, GO ON, PLEASE–

BEWARE THE INTERROGATOR, IT SAID.

WHAT? IS THIS A JOKE?

NO…

WAS THERE MORE?

YES.

LET ME SEE THE NOTE THEN.

I FOLLOWED THE FOOTNOTE AND ATE IT.

THEN I FELL ILL AS A WANDERING RASCAL BUM.

NO NEED TO SAY MORE, SOUL DRIFTER.

ONE WORLD WANDERERS

DO NOT RELENT

IN YOUR STRUGGLE

BE DETERMINED–

WHEN THE COLD WIND BLOWS

HUNKER DOWN

EYES TO THE SOIL

KEEP TO THE TRACK.

FINISH THINGS.

ENJOY ORDINARY VICTORIES.

KNOW WHEN TO LET GO

AND STAGGER TO YOUR HIDEAWAY

GLANCING OUT NOW & THEN.

GIVE THANKS FOR SURVIVAL.

LIVING LIKE AN ANIMAL

WHO ACCEPTS THE BURROW

WARM & DRY.

A FEW MORSELS OF FOOD

EVEN FELLOWSHIP

WITH OTHERS OF THE SAME FATE.

THERE’S PLEASURE IN SIMPLE THINGS.

EVEN THE GROUNDHOG KEEPS TIME

IN HIS LITTLE FURRY WORLD.

EVEN THE GROUNDHOG KEEPS TIME.

THE BIG LIE

HYPOCRISY AS AQUARIUM WATER

SAY ONE THING

DO ANOTHER–

PROFESS PIETY

STUFF YOUR POCKETS–

TALK ABOUT FREEDOM

LIVE IN A GATED VILLAGE

LIPS FLUTTER ABOUT EQUALITY

SIGN UP FOR THE COUNTRY CLUB–

MAKE NOISES ABOUT PEACE

WHILE BUILDING BIGGER BOMBS

TELL US ABOUT A GLOBAL VILLAGE

AND IGNORE THE U.N.

PAINT A GRAND FUTURE FOR ALL

THEN MOUNT YOUR STEED

AND SPUR ON COWBOY JUSTICE.

PROMISE RELIEF TO THE POOR

WHILE RAISING THEIR TAXES–

WATCH ME NOW–

THE BIG PRINT SPEECH GIVETH

WHILE THE SMALL PRINT BETRAYS ALL–

SURELY HYPOCRISY WILL CONSUME ITSELF

LIKE A FLESH EATING BACTERIA.

LIKE A FLESH EATING BACTERIA

GIVE IT A REST

THE OLD FOLKS HAVE

EVEN THE YOUNG ARE STILL–

RARE MOMENT,

SO ENJOY.

LOOK INTO THE FUTURE

DOUGHNUT & COFFEE SHOPS

LITTER THE GLOBE

DELIVERY TRUCKS RACE

WITH INTERNET GOODIES–

TELEPORTATION APPROACHES

SUCCESSFUL PROTOTYPE–

YOU MAY BEAM YOURSELF

TO THE GREAT COSMIC WALK–

OH WELL, YOU NEED NOT

WRING YOUR INEPT HANDS,

THE FUTURE DOESN’T DEPEND

ON ALL THUMBS GENERALISTS–

ALL IT TAKES IS A FEW THOUSAND

GENIUSES STUMBLING ABOUT

REINVENTING & IMPROVING

ON THE INVISIBLE MAN’S CREATION–

AND VOILA! EUREKA!

YOU’VE GOT SELF-HEALING SHOES

AND NANOTECH DNA

REFURBISHING YOUR ANCIENT CHEMISTRY:

KICK BACK, RELAX, INVEST IN YOUR WISE-GUY FUTURES.

PSYCHEDELIC CHEMICAL FUTURES

HOME OWNING REGRETS

OIL DELIVERY, JUST AT SUNRISE…

ELECTRICIAN FOR BAD SOCKET…KNOCK- KNOCK

ROOFER FOR EAVES’ DRIPPING

PLUMBER FOR KITCHEN ICE MAKER

ALL DELAYED, LOST EN ROUTE–

AFTER THE HOLIDAYS–

FLOORS BUFFED,

RUGS CLEANED

DOORBELL REPAIRED–

(“OXIDATION”…)

DRIVEWAY ASPHALT JOB IN SPRING

SNOW PLOW WINTER SERVICE

DRIVEWWAY TWENTY BUCKS

SUMMERS: THE GRASS CUTTERS

FALL RAKE THE LEAVES

SPRING PLANT FLOWERS

NOT BEFORE FINAL FROST

FOUNDATION CRACKS–

LEAVE TILL NEXT YEAR?

BULKHEAD BASEMENT STEPS ROTTEN

FURNACE NEEDS CLEANING

DARK FLAKES PUFF FROM CHIMNEY–

CALL THE SWEEPER, THE TINY MAN,

THAT AIN’T YOUR FIRST RODEO SHOW, BIG SHOT!

DEEP BREATH, BRAVE HOUSEHOLDER:

YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHING YET, PROUD ROYAL!!

DON’T FORGET OILING THE CASTLE DRAWBRIDGE!!!

DREAMING OF RENTING YET?

WELL, STAY IN TOUCH, SUCKER!

AND FEED THE GATORS WRITHING

IN THE SMELLY MOAT!!

GATORS WRITHING IN FOUL MOAT

I KNOW WHAT YOU WANT

YOU LITTLE CONNIVER

PRESSED AGAINST THE SOFA

MY KISSES GONE ASTRAY

INTO TUMBLE DOWN GYMNASTICS.

OR THE TIME ON THE ON THE BED CORNER

OR UP AGAINST THE COOL FRIDGE

AND FORGET NOT SEAWORLD ANTICS–

TUB AND SHOWER & SINK–

WHEREVER, WHENEVER

OUR TEETH SANK DEEP

AND HANDS GRASPED

THE PRIMAL URGE TO ONENESS

SCRUBBING ON BARE FLOORS

BUTT BURNING ON RUGS.

THE BED POST, ANYTHING,

MY SWEET DARLING,

THAT HURRIED KNOCK–

OH, I WAS READY FOR YOU,

EAGER TO RIDE

THE FOUL HOUNDS OF HELL

TO GLORIFYING UNITY!

RIDING HOUNDS OF HELL

KNUCKLE HEADS…

TOO MANY CLIENTS

ALWAYS CHASING

THE LATEST DEAL,

HOTTEST TRENDS,

GET BACK TO YOU,

FIFTEEN PERCENT

FOREVER–

DON’T CALL ME,

I’LL REACH YOU

WHEN THE DEAL POPS–

YEAH, MEAHWHILE

SOCIAL SECURITY LOOMS

CLOCKS MELT

BANK ACCOUNTS EXPIRE

IN A CLOUD OF DUST–

ANCIENT COINS RATTLE

IN THE TINNY VAULT–

AND TITLES FADE

FROM THE BOOKSHELVES

TILL ONLY COPIES EXIST

IN AUTHOR’S BASEMENTS–

VICTIMS OF MILDEW

AND THE DANCE OF SILVERFISH.

DOWN THE DRAIN DARK

THE CRIES OF AGENTS’ HELLS.

SECRET OF BEING A WRITER
WISDOM OF JOYCE CAROL OATES