chinese translation #24

facing a very personal universe

in tiny degrees

but also

      realities

original and dry

didn’t know

            how high

or that

imitating others

was in and of itself

the appearance

      of earning a living

and in a time like this

         a time

   unoccupied by giving

people think to be by myself

book-traveling

parting

   hair

      sea

waves

trying to imagine

addictive

is not best

that lisa lisa and the cult jam

would never pass the test

      now

i like to read

            the really big books

but only until

   i get myself took

and i know i’m being taken

can’t do anything about it

can’t live with

      or without it

active   but

very  

      ‘i haven't decided’

about the

ten years future

sloppy and optimistic

in general

the foolhardy and heterogeneous

    the film

black coffee is my every day

   exhibition activates

the lack of sulfates

         like outdoor ever what

ever who

      ever bet

on me and you

   and yet

we keep going

         perhaps living

perhaps knowing

            perhaps  wondering

wandering

      wallowing

in activities

   like   reading

or lying

            in the eyes

a sense of obligation

            like any culture can decide to

be revived

   at night

         to travel

in tail lights

  lions    curtains

      barefoot

            undone

chinese translation #33

the powder is a good thing

      it’s not written for long

and time is the character-builder

   even if things get ugly

we all know that the ghost builds a wall

from north to south

from both sides of her mouth

     but a man who is amiable   sincere and unshakeable

isn’t   necessarily

             comprehensively faithful

or even able

   to escape the unstable

smiling and nodding but

         starting to waver

it is not noble

      to cut

            you cut

   through-cut

do it how you like

to get things done

   to make the most of the sun

to have a desire to communicate

the companionship

         share both the good

and the well-fed

the quick

           and the instead

   a desire

for death and

   formality

         but not only in education

   also in

libation

   and pro   cras   tination

look to the full moon

   through georgia fog

through decatur night

      if the timing is right

look for the water

      watch it rise

heart

    to the

beat

      shuffle your slow feet

face the smile

that is looking at you

      it’s all that you have to do

you never know who is looking

                                                     at you

prayers   wait for answers

color   is beautiful

the wish waits for a coin

at the bottom   of the well

      but it is still 

   too soon 

to tell

i didn't love because it didn't love

we hardly even knew each other

and that was the glue

      stuck us together

kept us on the ground

while the peaches are in season

the trees just in reach

there’s little left to do

            but teach

i won’t let anyone hurt the pearl

the laudanum

      the mild form of the wild world

none of us

and none of this

      will make amends

let’s not be friends

   let’s not be trite

did you hear the truth song

                                the one by the giant

   ninety three

the more fool   i

it’s an estimate

            of what it’ll be

what you’ll see

in the land of cotton

where old times are

      all but forgotten

palm trees and sunshine

the basis of every story

from the gulf

      but smaller   seven

left to fend for himself

the aristocrat

            the girl

it’s easy to tell the stories

if you don’t let the truth

get in the way

make it a blue dress

make it so there’s

no need to confess

so there’s nothing to regret

      on the shore

in eighty four

      at seventeen

said i didn’t love

because it didn’t love

   in the art class

elaine floyd

   said

what

      said

   how

she was a hippie then

but she’s

      a hypocrite

now