Th e Crad le Place
Th om as Lu x
Also b y Th o m a s Lu x
The Land Sighted (chapbook) 1970
Mem ory's Handgrenade 1972
The Glassblower's Breath 1976
Versions of Cam pana (chapbook: translations) 1977
Madrigal on the W ay Hom e (chapbook) 1977
Sunday 1979
Like a W ide Anvil from the Moon the Light (chapbook)
Massachusetts (chapbook) 1981
Tarantulas on the Lifebuoy (chapbook) 1983
Half Prom ised Land 1986
The Drowned River 1990
A Boat in the Forest (chapbook) 1992
Pecked to Death by Swans (chapbook) 1993
Split Horiz on 1994
The Blind Swim m er: Selected Early Poem s, 19JO-19J5 1
New and Selected Poem s, 1975-1995 1997
Merry Bones (chapbook) 2001
First Ma r in e r Books ed it io n 2005
ISBN-13: 978-0-618-42830-4 ISBN - IO : 0-618-42830-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-618-61944-3 (p b k.) ISBN - IO : 0-618-61944-5 (p b k.)
Man y of the poems in this book first appeared, sometimes in sligh tly different form , in the followin g magazines:
Am erican Poetry Review: The Devil's Beef Tub; Debate Regarding the Perm issibility of Eating Merm aids; Burned Forests and Horses' Bones; Dry Bite; Can't Sleep the Clowns W ill Eat Me; Letter to W alt W hitm an from a Soldier He Nursed in Arm ory Square Hospital, W ashington, D.C., 1866; Can Tie Shoes But W on't; Goofer-Dust; Term inal Lake; Monkey Butter; Three Vials of Maggots; Render, Render; Portrait of X [III]; Rem ora. At lan t ic Mon t h ly: The Gletz (un der the t it le The Diam ond Cutter). Can ary River: W ith Maeterlinck's Great Book. 88: Guide for the Perpetually Perplexed. Field : Uncle Dung Beetle; Myope; To Help the Monkey Cross the River; Flies So Thick above the Corpses in the Rubble, the Soldiers Must Use Flam ethrowers to Pass Through. Five Points: Breakbone Fever. Greensboro Review: Rather. Gu l f Coast: Ten Years Hard Labor on a Guano Island; Scorpions Everywhere. Ken yon Review: The Magm a Cham ber. Lu m in a: The Ice W orm 's Life. MARGIE: From the High Ground; To Plow and Plant the Seashore. New Delt a Review: Dystopia. Passages Nor t h : Reject W hat Confuses You. Pedestal: Thus, He Spoke His Quietus; National Im palem ent Statistics. Rialt o ( U K) : The Chief Attendant of the Napkin; If One Can Be Seen. San Diego Reader: The Professor of Ants; 174517: Prim o Levi, an Elegy. W illo w Springs: Birds Nailed to Trees; Boatloads of Mum m ies; The Late Am bassadorial Light; Say You're Breathing.
The Am erican Fancy Rat and Mouse Association was first publish ed by Fameorshame-press as a lim it ed -ed it ion broadside.
M o m came an d wen t —an d cam e, an d brou gh t no day.
— B Y R O N
I wan t the old rage, the lash of prim ord ial m ilk!
Th e Lat e Am bassadorial Ligh t
Ligh t reaches t h r o u gh a leaf
an d t h at ligh t , d im in ish ed , passes t h r o u gh an ot h er leaf,
an d an ot h er, d own to t h e lawn b en eat h .
Gr e e n , green , t h e h igh grass shivers. W at er over a st on e, an d bees,
bees ar ou n d t h e flowers, deep-t iered beds o f t h e m , yellows an d golds an d reds. Saw-blade ferns feather i n t h e breeze. An d , ju st as a clou d 's corn er
catches t h e su n , a t in y glin t in t h e garden —t h e m ilk o f a b roken stalk? A lion 's t oot h ?
Say You're Br eat h in g
just as you do every day, in an d o u t , in an d ou t , an d in each breat h : on e t ick
o f a sh avin g fr om a bat's eyelash , an in visib le sliver of a body m it e
wh o lived near Caligu la's sh in , d iam o n d dust (we each in h ale a carat in a lifet im e), a speck o f scu rf
fr om t h e T h i r d Dyn ast y (t h at o f t h e ab u n d an t im b eciles), on e sulfurous grain
fr om t h e sm oke o f a m or t ar r o u n d , a m ot e o f m ar r ow fr om a bon e p o kin g t h r o u gh a sh allow grave,
a wh iff fr om a m u m m y gr in d er
cau gh t i n a Sahara w in d , m ost o f t h e Sahara itself,
in h aled i n Gr een la n d , sweat d r ied t o crystal o n you r father's l i p an d lift ed t o t h e sky
before you were b or n —a ll, a ll, a galaxy of fragm ents floating
ar ou n d you every day, in h aled every day,
h appy to rest i n you r lu n gs u n t il t h ey are dust again an d again risen .
Dr y Bit e
W h e n t h e krait strikes b u t does n ot loose
h is ven om : d ry b it e. W h a t makes t h e snake choose n ot to k ill you? N o t Please,
n ot J didn't m ean
to step on you. H e m ay be fresh ou t : st ru ck recen t ly som et h in g else. Bu t : i f he wit h h old s h is p oison ,
wh en does h e do so an d why? Ca n h e t ell you are harm less t o h im ? H e can 't swallow yo u , so wh y k ill you? Th ere's n o use askin g t h e krait : he's deaf. In t h at ch em ical, t h at sp lit -b illio n t h of a secon d, h e decides
an d t h e lit t le valve of h is ven o m sac stays sh ut or opens wid e.
Dry, oh dry, d ry b it e —lu ck y t h e day you began t o wear
the krait's snake-eyed m ark on you r wrist
an d you walked d own t h e m o u n t a in in t o t h e valley
Horse Bleed in g t o Deat h at Fu l l Ga llo p
(La Florida, 1540)
Fou r arrows i n h i m , wait , five, on e so deep its feathers lie ben eat h h is coat. H is rider's dead, fallen off, eleven arrows in h is n eck bet ween h e lm e t an d breastplate,
a b lood y, spiky collar. W it h o u t t h e weigh t o f t h e r id er , h is lan ce, spurs, t h e horse st ill ru n s, run s wh ip - b lin d , over t h e green h ills u n t il h e reaches t h e wh it e-san d shore an d he can r u n or walk n o m or e.
Debat e Regardin g t h e Perm issibilit y
Th e Germ an s find it distasteful,
Th e Professor o f An t s
For his wh o le life ants were t h e life o f t h e Professor o f An t s. O n h is b elly, on h is h an d s, kn ees, above t h e wo r ld o f ants: wh ich colon y forages wh ere, wh e n , wh at ; wh ich t ribes cooperate wit h ot h er t ribes, wh ich t rib e attacks t h e sm aller t ribes. Al l day, t h e sun h a m m e r in g h is sh oulders an d n eck above t h e wo r ld o f ants. Som e days h e gives t h e m shade t h ey d id n o t kn ow before. H e recogn izes m an y by t h eir m arks or m issin g legs. Th e Professor's got h is p en an d clip b oar d o u t , season after field season. Th er e go t h e leaf cu t t ers, off t o work, 6:45 A. M . , t o shear t h eir sails o f green . Th e harvesters carry t in y sacks o f seeds t o sow an d lit t le hoes t o weed t h eir rows o f fu n gi. An d , fr om a large colon y, st art in g o u t o n t h eir t h rice-yearly slave-m akin g raids, t h e san gu in e ants. W h e n t h e san guin es are away—t h e Professor has n ot ed , an d t wice p u b lish ed , t h is fact —som et im es a gold en -h aired beet le (Hylurgus ligniperda) moves in t o t h eir n est, an d wh e n t h e sanguines r et u r n (carryin g t h eir slaves!) t h e beet le secretes a d r in k t h at makes t h e slavers h er slaves, an d t h e n ew slaves o f t h e slavers h er slaves as we ll. Th e sanguines n eed t h e slaves t o gr oom t h eir eggs. Th e beet le needs t h e ants t o feed h er an d h ers. Th e ants d o n 't n eed t h e beet le at all. Th e Professor needs t h e ants t o feed h i m an d h is. Back at t h e lab , at t h e ch alkb oar d , h e wishes n o t t o feel wh at t h ey feel wit h t h eir feelers.
Tact ile
O n e eyelash , on e m illim e t e r
lon ger t h an each ot h er eyelash o n you r left eyelid , ben ds at its t ip , as it , alon e, leans
on m y lowest left rib's led ge, t h is sin gle filament h o ld in g you r bon es
to m in e . A t o u ch o f n o t o u ch , a t o u ch so ligh t t h e t act ile scale's
n eed le barely breathes. T h e n , at t ach ed to a h u m a n as it is, t h is on e eyelash
Ten Years H ar d Lab or on a Gu a n o Islan d ,
said H is H o n o r , h an d in g you a p ick an d a sh ovel
an d a t icket for a boat rid e h ere
wh ere t h e sh ovel is ch ain ed t o you r r igh t wrist
an d to t h e left , a bu cket .
Th e p ick yo u 'll wear strapped to you r back u n t il it's t im e to p ick wit h it .
Yo u 'll d ig, for a decade, d own
t h r ou gh t h e strata t h e seabirds left over eons an d , on e by on e, h a u l t h e bu cket fu ls to t h e dockside piles.
Th e birds st opped h ere t o rest awh ile, t h e r oam in g, t h e lan dless,
t h e lon g-dist an ce birds on prot ract ed win gs. O n days, wo r k in g t h e cliffs, wh en you can overlook t h e sea, you m igh t see—a foot
or t wo above t h e waves,
as you m in e his an cestors' gu t s—you m igh t st ill see on e.
Port rait o f X [ I I I ]
P u r b lin d , h e rose, shot his cuffs, an d h it t h e d oor, a gangster
b u t gangless, dead in th e h eart , dead
in t h e rat-black r u m d u m r ed u n d an t h eart , lost to t h is wo r ld an d n ot RSVPin g
in vites to t h e n ext .
Is t h is t h e on e wh o wo u ld lead us to a n ew aesthetic? Is t h is t h e on e, fragile, m o r ib u n d , afraid,
wh o w i l l lead t h e fragile, m o r ib u n d , an d afraid? Is t h is t h e Ne w Tr u t h m essenger,
t h e on e wh o w i l l d efin e t h e Ne w Polit ics or t h e New Poetics wit h t h e O l d O b liq u e?
Th r ee Vials o f Maggot s
were collect ed fr om t h e corpse fou n d lyin g i n a field
n ear a sm all st ream . Fr o m these t h e lab can t e ll at wh at t im e t h e dead on e d ied .
Th ey have sch edules, t h e flies. Som e lay eggs
wh ich h at ch t o maggots
wh ich con su m e t h e corpse. O t h ers com e t o eat flies, m aggots, eggs. H id e beetles arrive t o clean t h e grist le.
Un cle D u n g Beet le
H a i l , Un cle D u n g Beet le!, he wh o
wherever dung m eets dirt, wh ic h is everywh ere, is ou r sweet savior, wit h o u t wh o m
we wo u ld be swallowin g shovelfuls of flies each day, wit h o u t w h o m
on ly in h eaven
Th e Glet z
Th r o u gh t h e lou p e or peepstone it's t h ere: a m in i-d ot o f air,
an d wh en ligh t shines t h r ou gh
t h e ob ject , t h e gletz is visible via m icroscop e, x-ray scope. It's a flaw, d im in ish in g
an object : wh e n ligh t , u n im p e d e d ,
passes t h r o u gh it t h e object's b r illia n ce
is m ost b r illia n t . A glet z affects clarit y, affects m er it .
It's best i f n o glet z can be fou n d at a ll.
Th e gletz's place m atters: h igh er u p , bad news; lower, less-bad news.
Th e y in d icat e fragilit y,
these breathless, cell-sized cells wh ere t wo in m at es are locked an d each has a kn ife.
Th e Am e r ica n Fan cy Rat an d
Mou se Associat ion
Rat breeders gather
t o p r im p an d parade t h eir best —t h e ch in ch illa rat , silks, t h e Mo lu c c a n cream b elly—at t h is dog show for m ice an d rats wh ere, i f en t ered a cat ,
t h ere wo u ld be n o cr o wn in g
t h is year o f Rat o f t h e Year, Mou se o f t h e Decad e. Th e ju d ge cradles a q u akin g con t est an t i n h er p a lm . Repu t at ion s m ade or b r o ken , b reed in g secrets, b u ild a bet t er can cer rat an d you r p rid e can t u r n to cash , pack an ot h er gram o f fat
on t h e t h igh s o f a m ouse
an d t h is news shivers u p an d d own t h e row o f h erpetologists h ere for t h e show.
T h e n , in an ot h er, a back row,
sit those whose interests lie in m ouse an d rat aesthetics rat h er t h a n i n t h eir beh avior
or m arket p ot en t ial — O h t h e b eau t ifu l, b eau t ifu l rats, t h ey sigh , o h t h e b eau t ifu l rats.
To H e lp t h e Mo n k e y Cross t h e River,
Boatloads o f M u m m ie s
em barked fr om Egypt t o Ne w Jersey i n 1848. Boatloads o f m u m m ies by sail
sold t o a p u lp m i l l t o m ake in t o paper.
W h i c h ven t u re (on e tries to t h in k wh at t h e investors t h o u gh t ) d id n 't work ou t : t h e st at ion ery r esu lt in g was gray
an d grit t y
an d h e ld n o t t h e black depth s o f in k .
O n e won ders wh ere t h e r e m a in in g m u m m ies wen t . A few were gr o u n d t o powder
an d p u t in jars, an d t h en o n shelves o f rem edies, b u t all t h e rest, t h ree or fou r h old fu ls,
wh ere d id t h ey go
Th u s, H e Spoke H is Q u iet u s,
— for Larry Levis (1946-1996)
Larry d id , wit h h is book Elegy, his elegy, h is last lo n g r o llin g lin es o f sadness, o f u n sobbed sobs, o f h is im m en se wrecked h eart ,
h is finishing stroke, h is last h ard d ig
of t h e pad d le before lift in g it
fr om t h e wat er, an d h is can oe, o n t h e silen t st raigh t lin e cu t by its keel,
beaches it self
on t h e sandy, t h e ligh t e d , t h e silt -lap p ed , t h e ot h er, shore.
Birds Na ile d t o Trees
as they live today in your backyard.An d lookit over t h ere: a cat sm ackin g h is eyes.
An d t h e boy by t h e b arn p u m p in g h is p ellet gu n h ar d .
I f O n e Ca n Be Seen
Th e Year t h e Locu st H a t h Eat en
Th e y ch ewed m y lawn d own to sand an d t h e n p olish ed
W e have t h ree m u les yet, t wo carts. W e have on e m ission : t o arrive wh ere t h e fire started
Let t er t o W a lt W h i t m a n fr om a Sold ier
H e Nu rsed i n Ar m o r y Square H o sp it al,
W ash in gt on , D .C., 1866
dear W a lt , k in d u n cle , its n ear t wo years sin ce I left Ar m or y Sq. & I' m h om e n ow. Th e cor n grew good t h is su m m er an d we b ou gh t 2 cows. M y leg ain 't r igh t st ill b u t it's st ill m y leg. W h e n you p r o m m ice d t h ey wo u ld n 't take it was t h e first t im e after t h e grapesh ot I d id n 't wan t to go to t h e wo r ld wh ere t h ere is n o p ar t in g. Dear Un cle , we have h ad a son b orn ed & we call h i m W alt er W h i t m a n W illis , h e is well & Br igh t as a d ollar. Yrs Affect ion at ely, Bi l l W illis
Am p h r ib r a ch Dan ce
Rem em b er, first fallin g, an d fallin g, fr om loft y, fr om d ist an t , fr om dizzy
cliff's slim led ge, yes fallin g, t h r ou gh clear, n o t b lu e-b u r n ed air, yet fallin g, st ill fallin g
t o soft san d, t o h ard sea, t o lo n gin g for lo n gin g, an d m u ch less: t h e b r oken , t h e t h u n ky, t h e d an cin g we each d id ,
t h e heels d o wn , t h e n toes u p , t h e n h eels d o wn , t h e r o ckin g, t h e forward an d , yes, back— its m easure so awkward , t h e sad dan ce we each d id , r em em b er , rem em ber?
Rem ora
Clin gin g t o t h e shark is a sucker shark, at t ach ed to w h ic h
an d feedin g off its cru m bs is on e st ill t in ier ,
in ch or t wo ,
an d o n t op o f t h at on e,
on e t h e size o f a n ick o f gauze; sm aller an d sm aller
( m o r o n , id iot , im b ecile, n in co m p o o p ) u n t il o n t op o f t h at
is t h e last, a m icr o d o t sucker shark,
a filament's t i p — w i t h a h eart beat —sliced off, an d t h e great sea
all arou n d feedin g h is host an d t h u s h i m . He's t oo sm all t o be eaten h im se lf (t h ou gh som e t h in gs swim wit h open m ou t h s) so
Asafetida
Th e good , good t h in g for you as prescribed by an ot h er, b it t er to t h e taste,
an d , t oo, it stinks
like a n eck after a b oot h eel is lift ed , for a m o m e n t , fr om it .
Lik e an eely
spike in a sinus. A h orse-ch okin g p ill p u t in a p lu n ger
an d shot d own you r t h roat —it 's good
for yo u , w ill im p r ove yo u , you n eed it , p u t a lit t le h on ey o n t h is t in y b o m b an d take it d o wn , take
Goofer-Du st
(dirt stolen from an infant's grave around m idnight)
W i t h Maet erlin ck's Great Book,
The Life of the Bee, I beh eaded a bee staggerin g on t h e glass
p at io door as I open ed it to read above book
on above p at io. Th e bee slu ggish , first co ld co m in g o n . I an gled an d aim ed
t h e book's spin e t o d et ach its h ead ,
an d d id so. I h ad fifty or so m ore pages t o read. I was in d ifferen t
to iron y's b lu e acid b at h : I d o n 't get lost i n on e-h u n dred-year-old books
abou t bees every day. Al l I felt
was a desire t o shake t h e h an d o f Ma u r ice Ma e t e r lin ck , wh o loved these creatures
an d showed it so
in t h e ch oice an d order o f h is words.
Ter m in a l Lake
Alt h o u gh t h ey kn ow n o ot h er waters an d have n o creat ion m yt h s,
t h e fish d on 't like it h ere: n o way ou t , n o river to swim upst ream or d o wn . Te r m in a l Lake squats t h ere, its b elly filled by sprin gs, r ain an d ice an d snow. It's deep,
Te r m in a l Lake, an d n o one's gon e to t h e b o t t o m an d com e back u p .
All's b lin d d o wn t h ere, an d co ld . Fr o m above, it's a h u ge black co in , it's as i f t h e real lake is d r ain ed
in t h at c o m m o n d u o ,
Kn ife an d Fork. Sp oon , poor Spoon t h e k in g calls u p fron t , alon e,
Th e Mo u n t a in s i n t h e River
o n t h e W ay to t h e Sea
O n ce , t h ere were m ore m o u n t ain s, bigger m ou n t ain s. Th e st ill-h ere m ou n t ain s were bigger.
Th e H im alayas were fou r t im es bigger! Th e n t h e rain s cam e,
an d t h e Jovian W in d s, an d cold t o crack t h e r a in ,
an d th ey t ook some of t h e m ou n t ain s every day t o t h e rivers, wh ic h t ook t h e m ,
a grain at a t im e , to t h e ocean . Rain , w in d , rivers: t h ey do a ll t h e work wh ile t h e ocean waits
wit h its m o u t h op en at t h e river's m o u t h .
Just as t h e seas on ce rose t o t h e m o u n t ain s, t h e m ou n t ain s w ill go again
t o t h e et ern al sea's soft bed .
Reject W h a t Con fuses You
Reject what confuses you, Outlaw what seduces you,
What did not spring from a pure will, Into the flames wit h what threatens you.
— firesong for Naz i book burnings
Flies So Th ic k above t h e Corpses i n
t h e Ru b b le, t h e Soldiers Mu st Use
Flam et h rowers t o Pass Th r o u gh
An d t h e lit t le roasted flies fall in t o t h e r u in s t oo,
an d m ore flies com e—sh oo fly, sh oo— u n t il there's n o t h in g for t h e m t o com e t o
an ym ore, n o t h in g b u t sky, blan ket y-blan k b lan k blank sky.
Th e Ice W orm 's Life
t o ascend again : ou r refrigerative fellow creatures, ou r n eigh bors on t h e glacier beside ours
wh o , i f we co u ld in vit e t h e m in t o ou r livin g room s, wo u ld decom pose
in fifteen m in u t es (t h at soon !)
Provincia Aurifera
Let's go t h ere: t h e gold -bearin g lan d . It's in t h e trees, beaches o f it , it's sand! You p ick it u p an d p u t it i n you r pocket . Let's go t h ere: t h e gold -bearin g lan d . Lo o k at you r gir l i n t h e locket
she gave you : gold w i l l be i n you r h an ds. Let's go t h ere: t h e gold -bearin g lan d s, it's i n t h e trees, beaches o f it , it's sand!
H osp it alit y an d Revenge
You in vit e you r n eigh b or over for a beer an d a piece o f p ie. H e says words in ap p rop riat e abou t you r Xm as bric-a-brac.
You shoot h i m , t h ree t im es, i n t h e face. W h i l e you co m p la in t o h is first son re h igh off-wh it e-cou ch clean in g costs, h e shoots you i n t h e face five t im es. At you r wake, you r first son p u m p s eigh t slugs b e h in d h is first son's left ear.
You r wife in vit es you r n eigh bor's wid ow for tea.
Fr o m t h e H i g h Gr o u n d ,
it's a gran d view o f valley an d far m , a lu c id view of steeples an d graveyards,
o f a ll t h e t in y p eop le u p M a i n Street an d d o wn Ma p le , o f t h e m id d le an d gram m ar sch ools t oo. Fr o m t h e h igh groun d's elevat ion : a lo n g look at t h e good boys an d b ad , a len gt h y look at t h e gir l o n t h e swin g
as h er skirt b illows.
Th ere's t h e m a ilm a n wh o reads every let t er. Th ere's t h e r in g i n its box o n a lit t le black p illo w. Th ere's t h e m ilk m a n t akin g t oo lo n g to d eliver h is m ilk . Th ere's t h e librarian 's un dies o n t h e lin e —silk .
Fr o m t h e h igh gr ou n d a ll is clear,
in t erp ret ab le, lu cu le n t : this is wh at t h is m eans.
Th e Berch t esgaden view, a d og at you r h eel. Fr o m t h e h igh gr ou n d (low shrubs
st ubbed by t h in win d s) t h e stony p at h reaches
h igh er st ill, loft ier, t o h eaven alm ost , as it grows n arrower,
Mo n k e y Bu t t er
Mo n k e y but t er's tasty, tasty, you p u t it i n cookies an d p ie ,
you m ix it i n cake, I can 't t ell you a lie : d o n 't be ligh t wit h i t , n or hasty t o pu sh it aside. It's n o t t oo sweet, wit h a ligh t banana-y h u e, t h e m on keys a ll love it ,
an d so w i l l t h e on e you call you,
Breakbon e Fever
Ca n 't Sleep t h e Clown s W i l l Eat M e
— for Claudia
it says on t h e dead
auth or's ("t h e au t h or is d ead ") daugh ter's T-sh irt . H e sym pathizes wit h t h is lin e an d h is dau gh t er wh o wears it ,
an d recogn izes t h at its au t h or (wh o also m u st be dead) wrot e t h e lin e to describe an d m ock d read , in som n ia, fear.
Th e au t h or, h er father ( co n t in u in g to be d ead ), buys t h e sh irt for h is above-m en t ion ed c h ild
because she likes t h e lin e .
Th e au t h or (dead as a b r ick) is glad h is dau gh t er enjoys an d un derstan ds t h e lin e , t h at it's fu n n y, p arod ic, od d . Th is pleases t h e au t h or (a r o t t in g corpse)
an d —forever, d o wn t h e b ou levard o f elm s an d ash, forever beside t h e in d et erm in at e river in t o t h e lo n g n igh t , forever wit h h is c h ild an d t h eir b lood -on -b lood —h e w i l l , h e w i l l be h appy
wh ic h you smear o n you r lips an d go fort h
