Songs

SONGS

Charles

Olson

Song 3

This morning of the small snow

I count the blessings, the leak in the faucet

which makes of the sink time, the drop

of the water on water as sweet

as the Seth Thomas

in the old kitchen

my father stood in his drawers to wind (always

he forgot the 30th day, as I don't want to remember

the rent

a house these days

so much somebody else's, 

especially,

Congoleum's

Or the plumbing,

that it doesn't work, this I like, have even

used paper clips

as well as string to hold the ball up And flush it

with my hand

But that the car doesn't, that no moving thing moves

without that song l'd void my ear of, the musickracket

of all ownership. . .

Holes

in my shoes, that's all right, my fly

gaping, me out

at the elbows, the blessing

that difficulties are once more

"In the midst of plenty,

walk as close to

bare

In the face of sweetness, piss

In the time of goodness,

go side, go

smashing, beat them, go as

(as near as you can

tear

In the land of plenty, have

nothing to do with it

take the way of

the lowest,

including

your legs, go

contrary, go

sing

SONG 4

I know a house made of mud & wattles,

I know a dress just sewed

(saw the wind

blow its cotton

against her body

from the ankle

so!

it was Nike

And her feet: such bones

I could have had the tears

that lovely pedant had

who couldn't unwrap it himself, had to

ask them to, on the schooner's deck

and he looked,

the first human eyes to look again

at the start of human motion (just last week

300,000,000 years ago

She

was going fast

across the square, the water

this time of year, that

scarce

And the fish.

SONG 5

I have seen faces of want,

and have not wanted the FAO: Appleseed

's gone back to

what any of us

New England

SONG 6

you sing, you

who also

wants