the the hyper-real the the
ding, pop, electronic crickets
irradiated child on top of
radioactive ash
dreams of falling skies falling
bridges of people falling
bridges of falling people
souls dead in faux castles
marching sleeping movies
dreams of America screaming
crossing bridges arising
(to) voices voices voices
Robert Thurman
praying for the enemy's joy
Dick Cheney suckling
(of) green tara merging
Japanese mothers merging
screening movies bombs
about bombs bombs bombs
under the covers with my mother
watching about after
movies of after of days
my mother of atoms
the blue eyes of Helen Caldicott
(on) my screen in her hotel room
asking about my cancer
on the streets in my books
the bull of death the bed of my father
moving seamlessly between
image/self/real black and white
hyper/real real/hyper
Are you hyper she asks me?
All this makes me hyper I say
ding, pop, electronic crickets
green tara speaks
sings awakes me no hand
America sings the river of death
weeps a body bag
no father no cry
no more no more
she will hold you if you pray
om tare tuttare ture soha
oh these rivers oh
oh wonder of what becoming
oh America of thee I weep
"oh, the times, they are a stranging"
everybody's marching at me now
can they see
can they see
all this from the heavens?
ding, pop, electronic crickets
irradiated child on top of
radioactive ash
dreams of falling skies falling
bridges of people falling
bridges of falling people
souls dead in faux castles
marching sleeping movies
dreams of America screaming
crossing bridges arising
(to) voices voices voices
Robert Thurman
praying for the enemy's joy
Dick Cheney suckling
(of) green tara merging
Japanese mothers merging
screening movies bombs
about bombs bombs bombs
under the covers with my mother
watching about after
movies of after of days
my mother of atoms
the blue eyes of Helen Caldicott
(on) my screen in her hotel room
asking about my cancer
on the streets in my books
the bull of death the bed of my father
moving seamlessly between
image/self/real black and white
hyper/real real/hyper
Are you hyper she asks me?
All this makes me hyper I say
ding, pop, electronic crickets
green tara speaks
sings awakes me no hand
America sings the river of death
weeps a body bag
no father no cry
no more no more
she will hold you if you pray
om tare tuttare ture soha
oh these rivers oh
oh wonder of what becoming
oh America of thee I weep
"oh, the times, they are a stranging"
everybody's marching at me now
can they see
can they see
all this from the heavens?
3 comments:
Heidi, Wow! what a poem! Very poignant. Your images are shattering. It really gets the feeling across. "The times they are a stranging" Great line! I was there when Helen Caldicott spoke in Zuccotti Park. She is amazing. Thank you for the interview. You may have seen the movie Knocking On The Devil's Door by Gary Null, (I used to do marathon training with him) really powerful interviews he has with her as well.
I'm a poet myself. I co-host a poetry event at Bowery Poetry Club every third Sunday at 4:00. It would be great if you can come on down and read that poem!
I also really enjoyed your article on the Pete Seeger march the other night, which is how I found you. Very touching. I go to the Clearwater festival every year.
Russ Green
Hi Russ. Thanks so much! I would love to come read sometime. I'll be reading at Bluestockings in NYC on November 20th. Please come listen, if you are free.
Yes, I have seen 'Knocking on Devil's Door'--was at the film's first showing Ethical Culture with the delegation of mothers from Japan, Harvey Wasserman, Gary Null, Vandana Shiva, Kevin Camps, and others speaking. The film is pretty darn scary. You can email me at: hjhutner@gmail.com. Love to hear more about your poetry series.
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