Now It Begins

Thanks, Alice Notley

Another poet called back. ALICE NOTLEY, RIP. I love that so many people who knew her call her "the realest." What praise. I was thrilled by how she used quotation marks, in THE DESCENT OF ALETTE, and tried to follow suit with a poem, the last one in HEY FOLLY. I offer this homage as my thanks. 
(N.B. The lineation doesn't work when read on a phone).

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NOW IT BEGINS

“The 400 horses!” “The 400 modern horses”
“Without bits or leads” “Are coming this way!”
“In their dark blue dun” “Their piebald” “& Roan”
“The dainty bones” “Of our inner ears” “Freak”
“The arthritic guy” “In the basement apartment” 
“Groans” “The city shakes” “Her apron” “Out!”
“& From the hills, the caves, the glaciated & skies!”
“The caribou we cannot catch” “From the 31st herd”
“Is coming this way” “She is a lady!” “Barren-ground 
caribou” “Her velvet shed” “She eats sedges”
“Her feet paddle” “We are unsettled” “By the fact of her!”
“& Her” “Asymmetrical glory” “Short cars stop”
“Long trains stop” “Squat or tall buildings stop” “Stop” 
“Whole flocks” “Of pregnant ladies” “Who just got that way!” 
“Of a morning or an evening” “Are coming this way” 
“Without prenatal care” “Or phones” “& They are
flush & want our food” “They are full of milk”
“& Powers!” “Traffic lights” “Do something”
“New” “& Casanova-style!” “Public fountains”
“Make big loops” “A parade of icebergs”
“Iceberg inhabitants & floes” “The color of iris gin”
“Are coming this way!” “We cannot” “Tame”
“Or comprehend them” “Things both hot & cold”
“Cometh Louisiana & American” “black” “bears!”
“Cometh gnatcatchers” “Jaguars” “San Joaquin kit fox”
“& On our city balconies” “Are modish eyes peel”
“It is” “The liberation” “Or conquest”
“Our friends” “Have found” “Maracas” “Triangles” 
“Glockenspiels” “& Will not be still!” “They are beatboxing” 
“& Play accordion” “As if each is” “A haunted Balkan”
“The house plants” “Go feral!” “The air is” “So basil!”
“For the horses” “We play” “Euphoniums” 
“& Kiss!” “Our euphonium songs” “Go” “Like” “This”
“The sky is ridiculous-colored” “Monk salmon”
“Are flying” “Or the sea!” “& We are drinking”
“Drinks now” “On our city” “Balcony” “The color of iris gin” 
“& Going with it” “A lack of gravity” “At the feet” 
“Beautiful shiners” “& Pecos bluenose shiners” 
“Shining!” “Also gray wolves” “Have announced”
“Via lesser wolves” “They are assuredly” “Coming this way!” 
“It is time” “To tell the story”
“Of the Namib elephants” “I watched once”
“In what can only be called” “Purple rain!” 

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P.S. The days keep coming! For you too? I'll send a few of mine in another round of this thing. 

The wheatpaste moth below is around the corner from where we are presently living, nice and big, on the smooth part of a rough wall.