11
Thrills of fear.
nearer than the vein in my neck — ?
What if I opened my soul to sing to my absolute self
Singing as the car crash chomped thru blood & muscle
tendon skull?
What if I sang, and loosed the chords of fear brow?
What exquisite noise wd
Shiver my car companions?
I am the Universe tonite
riding in all my Power riding
chauffeured thru my self by a long haired saint with eyeglasses
What if I sang till Students knew I was free
of Viet-Nam, trousers, free of my own meat,
free to die in my thoughtful shivering Throne?
freer than Nebraska, freer than America —
May I disappear
in magic Joy-smoke ! Pouf ! reddish Vapor,
Faustus vanishes weeping & laughing
under stars on Highway 77 between Beatrice & Lincoln —
“Better not to move but let things be” Reverend Preacher?
We’ve all already disappeared !
12
Space highway open, entering Lincoln’s ear
ground to a stop Tracks Warning
Pioneer Boulevard —
William Jennings Bryan sang
Thou shalt not crucify mankind upon a cross of Gold !
O Baby Doe ! Gold’s
Department Store hulks o’er 10th Street now
— an unregenerate old fop who didn’t want to be a monkey
now’s the Highest Perfect Wisdom dust
and Lindsay’s cry
survives compassionate in the Highshchool Anthology —
a giant dormitory brilliant on the evening plain
drifts with his memories —
There’s a nice white door over there
for me O dear ! on Zero Street.
(February 15, 1966)