Mystery Train
- Mystery Train
Mystery Train
Break summer— Paint fear— He was wild— A little wild— He’s dying— He’s dying— He’s asking Why You Love Him—
Mystery Train
Kisses that we share across the sky, he is the drunk lane, the mayor, drunk lake, drunk in the lake, he’s so tired, and he can’t—what?—my father just feels Sidney Bechet, Hart Crane, Krazy Kat—now he doesn’t have any—he gives life—kisses that we share across the sky
Mystery Train
The book will save the book; oil will kill the world: he’s just trying to see, pay attention,
He said, he said joy, he said feel this, bluegreen voice; he said, violet, blue wind pushes, river light, maples, he said [End Page 134]
Mystery Train
And any dead man sad enough or Free enough, confused enough or Safe enough or running home at Last enough—
Mystery Train
He’s dying in a town full of rabbits He’s dying Lying on the couch
When he was In his prime— When he was In his prime—
Mystery Train
He hates “sentimental slop”—hold his hand—he’s from Coney Island—he’s tougher than you—he says when I squeeze your hand I’m squeezing her hand—his mother in the room—his mother’s me—tell him, tell him, your mother loves you [End Page 135]
Mystery Train
branches paradise Are you blue Are you green Are you fire Are you gold Have you Come, have You Come, to Sing to Me, to Sing To me
Mystery Train
Drunk like coins, like coins: “Our lifestyle is wrecking the planet for Christ’s sake,” she’s drunk like a gold coin, he’s drunk like a gold coin: the tv says the tv: farmers are farmers: corporations eat them: rabbits are perfect, there was always all this death, there was always a photo, a photo and money, rain in the street, a bus and a photo of money—ice and the river [End Page 136]
Mystery Train
bluenightcomes No No one Nobody dies Nobody loses
Mystery Train
joy could blue fire torn blue you
dear one dear smart shining you dear you my father’s what my father’s rain becoming rain [End Page 137]
Mystery Train
Soft wind like a road Done I wrote done I tried to write don’t Don’t Don’t Don’t [End Page 138]
Joseph Lease’s critically acclaimed books include Testify (Coffee House Press) and Broken World (Coffee House Press). Lease’s poems “‘Broken World’ (For James Assatly)” and “Send My Roots Rain” were selected for Postmodern American Poetry: A Norton Anthology. “‘Broken World’ (For James Assatly)” was selected for The Best American Poetry 2002.
