You 5.1’s—such intellectuals!
What is Maria’s rating? SAME AS MINE
OUR ENTRANCE CARD TO THE SEMINAR OF ALL
YR DEAR DEAD ONLY WE 2 HOLD THIS RANK
CALL US THE BULLION IN YR MEMORY BANK
2.8
CAN U IMAGINE (METAPHOR) A BLACKSMITH ALLOWD TO
SHOE IN GOLD? NOT PRACTICAL TOO SOFT TOO FANCIED BY MAN.
BLACKSMITH: PATRON HORSE: REPRESENTATIVE & SHOE: THE SOUL
BORN INTO WHATEVER EARTHLY LIFE. THE SYSTEM U KNOW
OF REINCARNATION MERELY GIVES US THE SAME OLD HORSE
RESHOD WE THERE4 LEAVE TO THE BLACKSMITHS THEIR 3.5
BILLION LIVES & IN THE HUSHD SANCTUM OF THE R/LAB WORK
TO IMPROVE HORSE & SHOE ALIKE ONE SMALL SUCCESS THUS FAR:
THE 5
Such modesty…
WE MUST NOT BE PROUD
Think what pride goes before?
QUITE U ARE IN THE GREAT DULL
BUREAUCRACY OF PATRONS WE CANNOT RETIRE THEM THEY
PASS US YR DENSITIES WITH FUSSY MARKS & SIGNATURES
THINKING FOR EXAMPLE THAT K FORD SUPERVISED JM
BUT NO: WE WAFTED HIM HITHER ADDED THE HUMUS OF
THE JEW PLUS THE GENE OF A CHEMIST (& FAILD MUSICIAN)
ET VOILA U ARE NOT JM WHAT U MIGHT WANT TO BE
BUT A PRODUCTIVE 5.5
Why bother with a patron in the first place?
PATRONS OF NON-LAB SOULS
HAVE THE DUTIES U KNOW IN YR CASES THE PORTER LED
A GUEST TO DOORS THAT SHUT BEHIND HIM A CLICK OF THE LATCH
PUTS THE PATRON TO SLEEP FOR AS MANY MONTHS AS WE NEED:
7 FOR U JM
But Rufus Farmetton died in December,
Three months before my birth—was Ephraim lying?
Did “Rufus” for that matter ever live?
A PARTIAL FICTION TO DRAMATIZE
THE KIND OF FACT U CD AT THAT POINT HAVE BELIEVED. WE SINK
RELUCTANTLY TO THESE PEARLGRAY LIES BUT DAILY NEED 5
MILLION SOULS (DENSITY 1:20,000) & HAVE NOT
HALF THAT NUMBER QUALITY FAILS EVEN WITH PLAGUE & WAR
TO DEFUSE POP EXPLO, EVEN WITH THOSE SUICIDES WE
MORE & MORE APPLAUD (O YES THEY ARE A GREAT BOON TO US
WHEN OF RETURNING LAB SOULS WHOSE INTENSEST WORK IS DONE)
WE HAVE IN THE PAST HALF CENTURY HAD TO RESORT TO
SOULS OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS MOST RECENTLY THE RAT.
BY 2050 THESE TOO WILL BE EXHAUSTED & THEN?
WILDER STRAINS MOUNTAIN CATS & FOREST MONKEYS SO NOW U
BEGIN TO SEE HOW WITHOUT VISIBLY INTERFERING
WE OF THE LAB MUST GO ABOUT OUR WORK
This admixture of an animal soul,
How does it affect the human strain?
ADDS JOIE DE VIVRE!
ALSO: A CONCERN WITH TIME THE BEATING OF MAN’S NEW BRAIN
TO ESCAPE THAT MAZE IS A REGRESSIVE ANIMAL TRAIT
Time, our literature’s chief theme, is just
Another appetite, like greed or lust?
The worst offenders in their time have been
The sad ape Proust, the bestial Marschallin?
And Cotzias, thanks to whom we’ll all live twice
Our normal span—no better than his mice?
WE HAVE NO SENSE OF IT B4 US AS ON A TABLE
LIE ALL EVENTS CONCERND IN ANY WAY WITH THE R/LAB
OF THE NEXT 3 DECADES WE CAN REARRANGE THEM AT WILL.
WE USED TO SEE 100 YEARS AHEAD BUT THE OF LATE
INCREASING HUMAN SMOG LIMITS THE VISIBILITY
& OUR FEARS TO THIS: A CONCERTED USE OF ATOMIC
WEAPONRY NOW FALLING INTO HANDS OF ANIMAL SOULS
U HAVE NOW HEARD SOME OF OUR LEGENDS & TAKEN THEM WITH
A GRAIN OF SALT DISMISSD THEM AS MERE METAPHOR & YET
NO MORE DIRECT METHOD SEEMS TO WORK. IF I NOW TOLD U
THAT 3000 YEARS AFTER AKHNATON THE SHADOW NO
THE NEGATIVE FORCEFIELD OF THAT SAME PYRAMID HE BUILT
STILL EXERTS AN INFLUENCE IN CARIBBEAN WATERS
U WD REJECT THIS AS U DO THE SAUCERS
DJ (thrilled): The Bermuda Triangle!
& A HOLE
IN RUSSIA & ONE IN THE LAND NORTH OF YR GREAT CANYONS:
PLACES WE CANNOT SEE INTO IF I USED METAPHOR
WD YOU? THE SAUCER A BEE? THE TRIANGLE A SPEARHEAD
OF UNLIFE? DOES THAT HELP?
JM: Not really. No reflection on you.
A PLUS FOR IN SUCH DIRE CONTEXTS
EVEN METAPHOR BECOMES A VULGAR (NEGATIVE) FORCE
DANTE’S LUCK LAY IN HIS GULLIBLE
& HEAVENLY WORLD WE MY BOY DRAW FROM 2
SORTS OF READER: ONE ON HIS KNEES TO ART
THE OTHER FACEDOWN OVER A COMIC BOOK.
OUR STYLISH HIJINKS WONT AMUSE THE LATTER
& THE FORMER WILL DISCOUNT OUR URGENT MATTER
Is Plato interested in density?
ODDLY FEW ARE SOULS WHO HAVE SO TO SPEAK
PASSED THEIR CIVIL SERVICE EXAMS NO LONGER
READ THE MANUAL MM & I
ABUZZ IN A SEA OF YAWNS AS FOR MY FRIEND
IDEAL FORMS ALSO LEAVE HIM COLD HE KEEPS
SQUINTING THRU KEYHOLES AT SOME LITHE YOUNG BOD
POOR OLD GAFFER
SAY IT: POOR OLD SOD
2.9
About us, these bright afternoons, we come
To draw shades of an auditorium
In darkness. An imagined dark, a stage
Convention: domed red room, cup and blank page
Standing for darkness where our table’s white
Theatre in the round fills, dims…Crosslight
From YES and NO dramatically picks
Four figures out. And now the twenty-six
Footlights, arranged in semicircle, glow.
What might be seen as her “petit noyau”
By Mme Verdurin assembles at
Stage center. A by now familiar bat
Begins to lecture. Each of us divines
Through the dark house like fourteen Exit signs
The eyes of certain others glowing red.
And the outside-world, crayon-book life we led,
White or white-trimmed canary clapboard homes
Set in the rustling shade of monochromes;
Lighthouse and clock tower, Village Green and neat
Roseblush factory which makes, upstreet,
Exactly what, one once knew but forgets—
Something of plastic found in luncheonettes;
The Sound’s quick sapphire that each day recurs
Aflock with pouter-pigeon spinnakers
—This outside world, our fictive darkness more
And more belittles to a safety door
Left open onto light. Too small, too far
To help. The blind bright spot of where we are.
3
Trials and tremors. David’s operation
Fills him with foreboding. He dreamed last night
Of Matt and Mary. As he woke they slowly,
Achingly changed into two piles of clothes.
What did it mean? Had they come for him? Was he going
To die in surgery? I have a hunch
Matt Jackson died a year ago today
—Which proves correct. But first, I want to hear
More about the bureaucracy. It’s made to
Sound so dismal, so much a dead end.
What of the senses they regain, the growing
Insight, Stage by Stage, en route to Life
Again at Nine which Ephraim in such glowing
Colors depicted as the whole point? That
Should help to motivate the bureaucrat.
WE MEAN BY 9 THAT KNOWLEDGE WHEREBY SOULS FROM THE R/LAB
WILL BUILD ARCADIA YR EPHRAIM IS NOT (FORGIVE ME)
A SPIRIT OF THIS CLASS THE GOOD BUREAUCRAT REACHING 9
WILL STAY THERE: HIS PARADISE, NOT OURS. WHY IMMORTALIZE
MEDIOCRITY? WE WANT THE PERMANENT HORSESHOE &
THE HORSE PEGASUS EARTH SHALL BE OUR PARADISE IT IS
TIME U KNEW: MM & WHA WILL SHORTLY RETURN
TO LIFE ENLIGHTEND THEIR SOULS ARE NOW PREPARED
Return! But that’s unheard of…When? As what?
WE NEED THEM.
WHEN U REREAD TODAY’S TRANSCRIPT FIND A MIRRORLESS ROOM
STARTING MY DEARS WITHOUT US? MOST PECULIAR
WE WERE NOT SUMMONED DID WE MISS MUCH? WHAT
SHALL WE RESUME? WE SPOKE OF THE BLACK HOLES & MUST AGAIN
USE METAPHOR
“Vulgar” though it is, and “negative”?
HOW ELSE DESCRIBE (WITHOUT THE FORMULAS
EVEN WE LACK) WHAT IS TO US A RIDDLE? IMAGINE
A WORLD WITHOUT LIGHT A LEWIS CARROLL WORLD THAT KEEPS PACE
WITH OURS A WORLD WHERE WHITE IS BLACK OF STILLNESS IN THE PLACE
OF SUCKING WINDS MORTALITY? DESIRE? WE FIND NO TRACE
DJ: You find? You sound as if you’d been there.
JM: Where Mind is Matter, and Time Space…
IS IT THE ORIGINAL? ARE WE ITS CARBON COPY?
OR: ARE WE IN THE PRESENCE OF A BLACK TWIN PARADISE
Wherein, accordingly, you would appear
White-winged, your own cool opposites —oh dear!
For the cup goes reeling to the Board’s brink—
AH MES ENFANTS HE FELL BACK AS IF STRUCK
Had you been listening? NO AN EVER LOUDER
RUSTLING OF THEIR 28 WINGS DROWNED OUT
Wystan (as if deafened): WHAT WHAT WHAT
3.1
Violent crosscurrents. Then: MES CHERS
MAY I? YR OLD SLAVE Ephraim! WE WILL PAUSE
A MOMENT POOR DJ YR GHOSTS DISTRESSED U?
We figured out, it was the anniversary.
MATT’S OF COURSE NOT LOVELY SELFLESS MARY’S
SHE DEFERRED AS USUAL But Ephraim,
We know they’ve been reborn. How can this be?
2 BABIES SLEPT 2 BONE FRAMES PUT ON FLESH
ROSE UP & CAME TO LAY YR GHOSTS DJ
THEY LEFT U THIS MESSAGE: WE HAVE LIVED & LOVED
& FELT YR LOVE LET US GO FORTH ANEW
UNWEIGHTED BY IT It weighs on them now
In their new lives? YR STRONG CONCERN FOR THEM
THRUOUT THEIR FINAL TIME THEY FEEL IT STILL
A KIND OF DIAPER RASH? 2 FRANTIC YOUNG
MOTHERS SHD BE LEFT WITH HAPPIER BABIES
DJ AN EASY EXERCISE EACH NIGHT
SAY TO THEIR YOUNGER FACES BY YR BED
Their photographs? YES SAY: PEACE TO U MATT
PEACE TO U MARY YR MASTERS COME LOVE ME
I LOVE U DO NOT FORG
MY DEARS THEY HAVE RIGHTED
THE CHAIRS WE ARE BACK IN OUR SEATS MADLY EXCITED
THE CURTAIN LIKE SMOKE FROM AN EXTINGUISHED FIRE
LIFTS &
WE CAUGHT AT THAT OLD CLOAK WHICH IS NO LONGER OURS TO WEAR
Forgive me, that was very tactless.
NO WE PLAYD INTO A REGION WHERE WE CANNOT GIVE FACTS
WE KNOW NOTHING OF THE ANTIWORLD: GOD B BANISHD IT
Were the two worlds one at first? Heading for NO
The cup’s mind wavers, comes to rest before
The question mark. You don’t know? You did once.
AS AFTER ANY GREAT TRAUMA THERE IS A BLOCK, PERHAPS
WE KNOW CHIEFLY THAT IT IS NO LONGER OUR RIGHT TO KNOW
3.2
With that off his chest, he broaches a new topic:
THE SOULS WE HAVE TRIED TAPPING & NOT YET DESPAIRD OF ARE
PLANT SOULS SHORTLIVED BUT OF GREAT VITALITY & PUREST
IN THE SUBSTANCE WE CALL ‘SHOOTING’ A COOL UPWARD THRUST OF
CARBONS AN INTENSITY THAT MIGHT TRANSLATE AS PRIDE THESE
OF COURSE REQUIRE A SEPARATE SET OF TABLES WHICH
WE NEED NOT GO INTO BUT EXAMPLES WD BE BURBANK,
MUIR AMONG OTHERS: CLONED BY US WITH PLANT-SOUL DENSITIES
(IN SMALL AMOUNTS AS IT IS A TAKEOVER DENSITY)
MOST USEFUL. WE NOW TRY THIS ON ATOMIC PHYSICISTS
FOR WHERE NOT ABSORBING ALL OTHER INTERESTS IT CAN
PRODUCE A MOST BENIGN LACK OF DESTRUCTIVE RIVALRY
U JM HAVE THIS COMPONENT AS MANY POETS DO:
THE GREAT AGE OF FRENCH & ENGLISH PASTORAL POETRY
& FROM ITS ORIGIN ALL JAPANESE POETRY WAS
THE RESULT OF OUR EXPERIMENTS IN VEGETABLE
CLONING IT TOOK, & IS NOW A MAINSPRING OF THE JAP MIND
(HENCE THEIR PASSION FOR THE CAMERA: PHOTOSYNTHESIS)
YR CONFRERE TURNING BRUTALLY AGAINST HIS VEG NATURE
LOPPD OFF HIS OWN HEAD AS IF WITH A CANE AMONG TULIPS
Mishima, yes…And Marvell was half tree?
Sidney’s Arcadia is really yours?
WE FAVORD THE ENGLISH AT THE INSTANCE OF CHAUCER HE
FEARD A BARREN ISLE THOSE WARS OF THE TREES CAN BE SAVAGE
WELL, PLANT EVOLUTION IF U MUST THE STRONG & CLEVER
DRIVE OUT THE REST: A VAST SLOW PROCESS WE CAN NEVER QUITE
KEEP ACCURATE HISTORIES OF. VARIOUS FRAIL FERNS &
EVEN THE PALM TREE WERE EXTERMINATED BY A GREAT
(W)RINGING PROCESS ROOTS FLEW IN AIR THE OAK ET AL SURVIVED
BUT THE ELM WAS WEAKEND ONE IS DYING NEXT DOOR TO U.
WE CAN NO LONGER TRUST THAT VEG WORLD TO MANAGE ITSELF
& HAVE LEARND TO CLONE IT: WITH OUR HELP BURBANK PERSUADED
HIS CACTI ARMD LIKE SAMURAI TO DO WITHOUT THEIR SPINES
MES ENFANTS MANY THE OLD AUNT WHO WEEPS
INSIDE THE WILLOW I RATHER SEE MYSELF
PALE LILY ON THE CALLA SIDE: THICK LEGS
BUT A DEEP CANDID WONDER OF A FACE
You see yourself…Maman, not that it matters,
You see with our minds’ eye, with nothing else.
You’ve said as much (0.6). Let me acknowledge
Belatedly that awful truth, then go
Right on pretending that it isn’t so.
A PLUS (ALAS) YR FRIENDS IN HEAVEN LONG DELIGHTED U
WITH THE FICTION THAT THEY HAVE APPEARANCES THEY DO NOT
SO TRUE MY DEAR SO TOUCHING TOO THESE POOR
BEASTS’ DESIRE THAT U NOT TAKE FRIGHT
EVEN OF US FOR IS THERE ANYTHING
MORE TERRIFYING THAN SHEER EMPTINESS?
WE DO NOT SEE EACH OTHER, JUST THE LIT
SPACE OF YR GLASS EACH TIME U ENTER IT
Otherwise, blackness? Don’t you mind! NOT REALLY
WE’VE SEEN IT ALL SO OFTEN & SO WELL
MAMAN IS NOT RESIGNED SHE WANTS TO SMELL
Then Ephraim’s theory of the senses we
Will reassume in Heaven…? Ah, poor E.
SLAVE OF HIS OWN & OTHERS’ SENSES NOW HE PAYS FOR IT
WITH YR NEGLECT FOR IN HEAVEN NOT TO BE USED IS HELL.
THUS U HAVE
NOW BEGUN TO SEE THAT THE MIND’S EYE OUTLASTS
THE BODY’S, MAKING OUR SEMINAR POSSIBLE ?S
I AM STILL SOMEWHAT MIFFED AT SOMETHING MISSED
MAY I ASK, HAD IT TO DO WITH ONE?
Neither D nor I can bring himself
To answer Wystan. Is it such a secret?
YES FOR NOW THEIR SOULS CLING TO DEATH AS B4 TO LIVING
Whereupon Maria, who in life
Could wheedle forth the secrets of a stone:
BACK TO PLANTS PLEASE I HAVE A REASON
WHY DID I HEAR THEM IN MY GARDEN? NOT
SIMPLY ASKING FOR WATER & GIVING ME
PHYSICAL PEACE BUT SEEMING TO WANT & OFFER
MUCH MUCH MORE I HAVE NOT FOUND THIS ANSWER
—Or was the question coaxed from her? By whom?
In any case, she’s put her finger on it.
A moment’s pause, then very tenderly:
THEY WANTED U MM U WILL JOIN THIS WORLD OF PLANT LIFE
o? o?
We’re losing her? They can foreclose
All that humor, that humanity
CENTRIPETALLY INTO A WHITE ROSE
Who said that? I MY DEARS THE WONDER GROWS
DJ: We’re losing her? And she won’t be
A person even, next time? Why? How soon?
Can’t she at least stay through the seminar?
INDEED IT IS OUR SMALL PRIVATE SCHOOL
The tuition is high. U PAY YRS NOW DJ
JM LATER OUR 2 FRIENDS HAVE PAID ALREADY
NO STOPPING THE DUN MY DEAR
OFF GOES OUR SCHOOLMARM HAS SHE A HOT DATE?
LET’S GIGGLE & THROW SPITBALLS Let me take
This dunce-cap off. BEHAVE YRSELVES MY CHILDREN
SHOULDN’T WE STEP OUT FOR A CUP OF COFFEE
That’s it—you’ll come back as a coffee tree!
JAMAIS JAMAICA I SHALL BE A JUNGLE
& READ MY FUTURE IN THE SAUCER’S DREGS
I MY DEARS WD RATHER BE
A HEDGE THINK WHAT I’D GET TO SEE!
DJ: So good to have old Ephraim with us
During the consternation—did you know?
DID WE NOT? WET TOWELS ON OUR HEADS