always merrie & bright
( blues for henry miller, 9.6.80 )
no more beaujolais
no more strumpet
no more croissants
no more crumpet
no more gauloise blue
no /
nor erik satie trumpet
& no more squirt henry
& a chunda ! hen & ah
do be
do be
do . . .
well
i read the katzenjammer kids
before i ever read you
& marvelled at this genesis
yr art laid on like glew
thinkin‘
/ how come
how come ! th flatus
all divine
eludes you in th blue
while all abt /
th high
domed bards
ws anglin’ at th true ?
wooah!
it ws th marriage
of heaven & hell
y wanted as yr due
wit yr squirt, henry
& y chunda !
yeah.
& y do be
doo bee
do
truth is hen
we loved ya best when
you ws worst /
didn’t know
what t’do.
yeah. human
ALL TOO HUMAN
henry
& human through
& through
/. . .
well now,
no more pernod
& no more whores
& no more publishers
& no more wars
& no more enlightened souls
to use you for their cause
/. . .
yeah.
where books are read
before they’re burned
we will remember you
wit yor sqert
henry
& y chunder !
& yr do be do be do be do be
do be do be do
ahem,
well now,
down heah in
little old green
new zealand
in mount eden at
20 minutes after 5
dah da dah
dah Daaaaaaaaaaa
i learn on lookin’ at
the evening star you
are
no more alive . . . ! . . . merde !
hot dawg !
haaand jive !
better than runyon
better than thurber
better than nash
yeah. ’n’ better than
boris karloff too &
better than johnny cash
better than mccullers &
mcclure & mckuen
who sell more books
than jesus does
cs they know jes what
they’re doin . . .
better than doris day
johnny ray
& good , good golly
miss molly
better in time , almost
i guess . . .
almost better ’n buddy
holly !
yeah.
better ’n a tonic better ’n
home brew
& better ’n nine
tenths th heads
/ that poured the
acid
on yew . . .
yeah. where books
are READ before
they’re burned
we’ll remember you
wit yor squoit
hen
& jaw thunder
& j do be do be
do be do be
do be do be
do . . .
well now,
let me say down here
at length
before this ever lovin’
little old wank is thru !
there’s still a voice
in the midnight choir
turns a crack’d lament
for you
yeah
better than yevtushenko & bicycles
( but not as good as Babi Yar )
better than harry
better than truman
yeah. & capote . . .
better than warhol & don juan b far
& quezacotl
& peyote . . .
& better ’n most of th beatniks, too
henry
with your squirt
and your chunder
and your
do be do be
do be do be
do be do be
do . . .
well now,
I knows y hankered on th muse !
yet
ch did not deride her
&
we will not heah one
snide remark
no !
nor moreso corso snyder
yeah
& while i close
this evening star
eat
kerouac cold spaghetti
no charmaine greer
nor ginsberg tear
cd make me ferlinghetti
where books are read
before they’re burned
we will remember yew !
wit yr squirt , henry
& yr chunda , henry &
yr do
be
do
be
do
be
do be
do / be doo bee doo.
©David Mitchell
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