Author: Ted Richer

In memory of Tom Flynn 1. shadows … shadowing … Tom Flynn … to the dark 2. shadows … shadowing … Tom Flynn … shadowing … in the dark 3. shadows … shadowing … Tom Flynn

time seemingly so much time yet not for us only so much time for us and then it ends … life seemingly so much life yet not for us only so much life for us and then it ends … love seemingly so much love yet not for us only so much love for us …

1. nothing … nothing ever … swear to god … nothing … nothing ever 2. & nothing … & nothing ever … & pray to gods … & nothing … & nothing ever 3. nothing … ever … & … nothing

The White House ceremony: THE CORONATION OF THE PRESIDENT. Televised, no audio. The cello— Discordant. MYSELF: It happened. It happened here. It happened in our own time. FEMALE: Shame. CHORUS: It happened. It happened here. It happened in our own time. FEMALE: Shame. The cello— Discordant. MYSELF: You let it happen. You let it happen …

1. “Kiss me, once,” she said. … I kiss her, once. … “Kiss me twice,” she said. … I kiss her twice. … “Kiss me, once again,” she said. … I kiss her, once again. 2. “Miss me, once,” she said. … I miss her, once. … “Miss me twice,” she said. … I miss …

1. “Write a love poem,” she said. … “Only if you write one, too,” I said … She writes a love poem. … I read her love poem. … I write my love poem. … She reads my love poem. 2. “Write a last love poem,” she said. … “Only if you write a last …

1. to sleep … I always keep my eyes shut … & I never move … to awake … I always keep my eyes open … & I never move 2. then, to sleep … I always keep my eyes shut … & I never move … then, to awake … I always keep my …

1. once I came … in my dream … to Paradise … when you came with me 2. the closer I came inside to the Garden … in my dream … the closer you became 3. and when I walked all through Paradise … you came closer still 4. yet when I stood near the …

1. who read … the greatest devotion … greater than learning … consists in accepting the world … exactly as it happens to be 2. who said … the greatest devotion … greater than learning … consists in accepting the world … exactly as it happens to be 3. who read it … to us …

Dr. Johnson

We know

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel

…

Oh God.
…
Oh God is.
…
Oh God is great.

I have no picture of you—

oh, how do we die

Poem: Outside the House of Learning / I said to Sol: / what does it mean

  At the Astapovo Station No God. . . . No God sees. . . . No God sees the truth. . . . No God sees the truth, but waits. . . . So who? . . . So who sees? . . . So who sees the truth? . . . So who …

One last time. I saw her, alone, in the Garden: Standing. In white. She was without a sign. “Why is that?” “I have given in . . . ” she said. “Why is that?” “No one dares to . . . ” she said. “Humans are like that,” I said. “Humans—” she said. “What, now?” …