In the summer of 1968
I became a vegetarian.
Reasons: 1) To become plantlike.
2) To stop consuming.
3) To live like a member of the Third World.
4) To do it.
I did it
making friends among bushes and trees
frowning on porkchops in the supermarket
denying the environmental pressures
plunking down roots in the earthly sources
attaching myself to the ground
loving the rain
drawing toward the sun.
Enter, the merciless sponge of the System
the wilderness going down
a light snow
a had been fallen
the brown most showed
knoll trunk knot treelings' U's
The Sound marsh water
ice clump
sparkling root etc
and so far out.
Screeching NYC
macaws
clothesline to oblivion
Move to Hollywood
get up in the morning
jump into your overalls
chop down your own fruit trees
the shadows around the corner before
the cars there's the back windows too slow
moment
away from
the setting sun
project tall bug-
gye flickering past
trees
changed here
through the seasons
over the road
branched out
its like music.
its i like music.
the answer bouncing like a long stemmed
dandelion in april
the most brilliant color in the rainbow,
a bunch of
fantastic
lite beams, smiles, clear ribbons of rain
coloring the sky
the bridge of the sun, the long
womans belly, the horizon.
bubbling up like a stream of sap
thru the trunk
touching the branches, bright
colored bubble surfaces
of sap, spring of sap bubbles
But if you come up to it,
even if you tend it with
love and care, it will
still grow into a tree,
a jungle,a hive,
and your hand near upon it
will not be the same forth.
There is no recourse to love,
for all you do will
thrive in you in that same way,
and what you put out,
will grow round you,
and the wind will at last
whistle your lips.
Somehow nineteen years ago
clumsily passionate
I drew into me the seed
of a man -
and bore it, cast it out
man-seed that grew
and became a person
whose subtle mind and quick heart
though I beat him, hurt him,
while I fed him, loved him,
• now stand beyond me, out in the world
beyond my skin
beautiful and strange as if
I had given birth to a tree.
wander me lonely
in last chance
wind
give me half
the faded
thistle
blown where scattered
to know
return
and gently
circle
a tree
its leaning.
The tree said
stay.
I stayed.
The tree said
go.
I went.
The tree said
come.
I come.
The tree said
my own feelings
raw guarded dictionary all thumbs
and the backfire enormous
into little red retinas
all aglow
with the etcetera trees orchards
tremendous horror down the drain
and the usual each and every day
my own enormous red fuck
looking backwards and selling
december to may
all trees aglow fuck horror down
the guarded drain
to finally leave
through the doorway
Years of wandering aimlessly,
Or purposely through the moss
Through the trees.
Years of history
Slowly dying
Slowly dying because of us.
Because of us.
Because of you.
Because of me.
Because of them.
Birds used to reign the skies;
Now, these metallic vultures reign the airs.
Orang-Outans used to roam freely amongst the trees,
Manatees among the seas.
No more excuses
Or ignorance: