The grey man slips through
the stitch-seems of light
blowing ice-crystal kisses
born the guizer: breath of geuze boon
reflecting a trump-pumped
rain-spattered horizon worn
failing night-glass window-world
as strip-tease of blue-green sky-mouth
closes shop
the stitch-seems of light
blowing ice-crystal kisses
born the guizer: breath of geuze boon
reflecting a trump-pumped
rain-spattered horizon worn
failing night-glass window-world
as strip-tease of blue-green sky-mouth
closes shop
The grey man fades into the faience-walls
bleeding easily tech-ton-ically
into the mode and/or the merchant’s myth of
pink marble statues in u-guessed-it
mirror-glass eyes and 100% cotton twill
soap-rope swing-song melody
bleeding easily tech-ton-ically
into the mode and/or the merchant’s myth of
pink marble statues in u-guessed-it
mirror-glass eyes and 100% cotton twill
soap-rope swing-song melody
The grey man pales to navaho-white
trains on dark errant flights
trains on dark errant flights
arranges his fantastic towers
silk-finger-lash and eye-mascara-
trigger-lip-mystery momentous
digs his bed with
coiled-rust wings and
measureless mountain-satin dreams
silk-finger-lash and eye-mascara-
trigger-lip-mystery momentous
digs his bed with
coiled-rust wings and
measureless mountain-satin dreams
The grey man knows
no-tomorrows only-todays
thundering rubber and metal combustion
cyanide-laced arrows apace
borrows his tooth-hush from
the glass urn and
spits his olive pits into the
air-bowl while snipers
take
their aim
and grey
is the concrete-air as
no-tomorrows only-todays
thundering rubber and metal combustion
cyanide-laced arrows apace
borrows his tooth-hush from
the glass urn and
spits his olive pits into the
air-bowl while snipers
take
their aim
and grey
is the concrete-air as
sea-scissors mulling like
cold wind off urinal smell
radiate ice-bliss
flick er of coal-butt blue wan
sea gulls skulking in a
tattered grey-floss hair
over barbed-wire arterial-slave ruby-riders
above parted grey docks
running blue-shoed patterns
flicker-signal turn-lamp
sea-mizzens seaward-bent sea-bird soar-masks
of
frost-feather and grim
side-streets of metal ribs bone-cages
bled white on locomotive-rail-sounds
rumble ding saxophone wail
rolling backwards and away
in a twilight ghetto
meadow-sky
cold wind off urinal smell
radiate ice-bliss
flick er of coal-butt blue wan
sea gulls skulking in a
tattered grey-floss hair
over barbed-wire arterial-slave ruby-riders
above parted grey docks
running blue-shoed patterns
flicker-signal turn-lamp
sea-mizzens seaward-bent sea-bird soar-masks
of
frost-feather and grim
side-streets of metal ribs bone-cages
bled white on locomotive-rail-sounds
rumble ding saxophone wail
rolling backwards and away
in a twilight ghetto
meadow-sky
’til the grey say scald-tongues afloat
pure brain music
staggering the somnolent master . . . . with
inner gloat
wither window-trails in beveled-brass rain
and his prayers un-quote
u-think: lasers dinosaurs and purple lipstick
but
pure brain music
staggering the somnolent master . . . . with
inner gloat
wither window-trails in beveled-brass rain
and his prayers un-quote
u-think: lasers dinosaurs and purple lipstick
but
The grey man swallows ice-cubes dry
zips his zipper-mouth tight
fills his empty sockets
with moth-balls
he has no mouths of angels only
pink zipper-eyes
owns no money-worry
yet to tarry his credit
stars-far
behind
zips his zipper-mouth tight
fills his empty sockets
with moth-balls
he has no mouths of angels only
pink zipper-eyes
owns no money-worry
yet to tarry his credit
stars-far
behind
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The extended title of this original masterpiece reads as follows:
The Lovesong of The Grey Man for Elizabeth Bishop
And The Man-Moth
Sung from a Fourth Floor Window
In Brickbottom Artists Building
On a Bleak Rainy Winter's Day
At Sunset
In Somerville, Massachusetts
In The Eighties
Need I say more?
