English Major
Back then they’d step out of their story
Their novel, their play, their poem and
Speak to us, deal with us. We knew them
And they knew us, where we were, where
We were going. We were quick to quote
Them when it fit. We’d nod when we saw
Their relevance playing out in front of us.
Being an English major in the 60s gave us
The material we needed to deal with the 60s
And the world it was making for us. We were
A crowd in a world of crowds. We had years
Of wisdom playing out in what we read and
What we heard in our classes. Shakespeare
And Milton, Becket and Ginsburg, Heller
And West – our lists were impressive and
Seemed endless. What else did we need to
Face what was coming at us? Years of it and
A life bolstered by it. What could go wrong
With this? Everything that could go wrong
Of course, went wrong. And all of it seems
Flimsy now – and turned out to be just that.
Where did all the 60s English major go and
Where did all that wisdom sneak off to?
Dreams
They show up in my dreams
People from my past, pass by.
Some silent, others saying
Things I remember them saying
Back then, safely in the past.
Some go by, seem familiar, but
I can’t recall their names. They
Are background figures, passing
By in my dreams like they did in
My past. Dreams do that these
Days, present places and spaces
Filled with characters that made
My past what it was, part ceremony
Part show, part story. They came in
In real time and now get their cameo
Appearances in my dreams. There’s
No explaining when and why they are
There in that dream on that night. I
Try to connect them to my present
But they fit uncomfortably, even if
I stretch things, connect some piece
Of my present to my dreamed past.
No they’re separate now, out of control
Playing my life out in these stray bits
Of my time.
Joker
Been telling the same joke
living that same joke
For a long time now
Minutes of it and years of it.
Been laughing at my joke,
Even after I heard that one
About only a fool laughs
At his own joke or jokes
And I’d be foolish enough
To laugh aloud, join in
The general laughter
All around me.
Been a street clown
A circus clown
A stand-up comic
Part Laurel, part Hardy
One of the three stooges.
I’ve chuckled and guffawed
Been chuckled at and guffawed at
Been the butt of many jokes
And played the punch line
For all of it.
