from "now"
Rent from DeepDyve- from "now"
"now"
O song of dust O sound of dust O dust at dusk at dusty rose dusk each particle particular plum fat and red Happy Birthday, Mr. President and God said let there be gas let there be cash and soft glances
"now"
Light in every windowAndWe know and we know we don'tPour down pour down are you sandAre you silver pour down pour down
"now"
You—in the park—Watch them sleeping—You invented the family, private property, and the State—you did it—"Hey you"—it was you—and gray rain, shadow, Mist—And this is perfect—you are the light and the dark—And no you don't and no you don't—
"now"
bright branches
blue side of the mountain, blue side—will I drink, will I laugh, tell me, will I laugh—tell me—will I spark—in this light, expensive light—did you pray— did you beg—for days like these—
"now"
You don't want to laugh at them you don't—You say take me to Heaven you say take me to Heaven—Don't you want to say that—don't you—[to be continued] [End Page 111]
Joseph Lease's critically acclaimed books of poetry include Broken World (Coffee House Press) and Human Rights (Zoland Books). His poem "'Broken World' (For James Assatly)" was selected for The Best American Poetry 2002 (Scribner). His poems have also been featured on NPR and published in The AGNI 30th Anniversary Poetry Anthology, VQR, Bay Poetics, Paris Review, and elsewhere. Thomas Fink's book A Different Sense of Power: Problems of Community in Late-Twentieth Century U.S. Poetry includes extensive critical analysis of Lease's poetry. Lease is Associate Professor of Writing and Literature and Chair of the MFA Program in Writing at California College of the Arts.
