Separate Worlds: Kansas City, and: Light Pleasantries

20 THE MINNESOTA REVIEW MARK BURKE SEPARATE WORLDS: KANSAS CITY The artists talked to the artists, And die poets talked to the poets, Glad to be given a creativity campus, A five-star Navajo reservation. No one else understood what the hell was going on, So diey spent a lot of time making sure That when diey didn't, at least diey could pretend, Following die better line, the slicker move, Self-conscious superdupes behind a con. The irrelevant environment didn't feel left out, It went its usual way: whipping niggers, eating popcorn, Perfecting its own art form, Which wasn't Warhol soup but Richard Nixon. reprinted widi poet's permission from Ostrich 14 (U.K.) BURKE 21 LIGHT PLEASANTRIES When they take out my grocer to be hung, Hell bob, and smile, and rub his hands, Making his usual 2p-off quips about the weather. As they bind his hands, he will admit That, for these last few days, it has been changeableWhat plans have they got for the afternoon? It'll not be a copy-back executionLight pleasantries such as he is master of Have been known to wring cliches out of stone. Trade is trade-aren't all these troopers saving up To buy their sweethearts or their kiddies something? They haven't the heart to hood him while he's talking. 'As soon as this is over,' he's telling them, 'You want to get down to the auction.' The Officer, a Sandhurst Supermarket man, Shouts at his men: 'why all this hesitation!' The corner-shop grocer, looking at the troopers, Feels that they have the same bare back-to-backs in common. Since they seem so confused, he slips his own hood on. 'The customer is always right,' he says to himself. That gentleman understands-as for the rest, well, They never had the chance to learn real standards. He swung for exactly the right time, just like smoked ham. Pleasantries are alright, was his last thought, Far better though, to see a job well done. ...