Poems

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…leaving Leenaiyos
and Kohmohss
without discussion
Pahn rides his bicycle
into his old district neighborhood

Blossom-hill

Oak-meadow

the tracts
that supplanted the orchards
forty years before                                                            he knows them well
                                                              these dark and wooded roads
                                                              of Eithnia’s neighborhood
with their tar and gravel
and rounded curbs
dewy lawns
and daily papers
                                                             almost
                                                              like the damp fringes
                                                            around a pond
He rides to the grocery store
                                                         meeting Aiks
                                                        who takes him to Nordstrom’s

He sees Pitteuss    and Pluta

He is looking for long underwear
                                                          unable
to find his size       embarrassed
wonders if                                they are wondering why
                                                         he is not at work   and if they asked
he would                             
                                                      explain
that he has an appointment
at 9:30—

he looks at the clock
It is time to go
            he tells Aiks

and he walks
                                                  into the library

The priestess comes
but Pahn can’t afford her beauty
and can’t afford health                       
so
                                                  goes back to work to spend
                                                                         time with Yaohwa…

…Athehna comes out of the winery       in the rain
Pahn is surprised
                                          that she has come to see him
                                                                             In bad weather

“There you are”
she says
“I read your poem”
and she hugs him

He knows it is because
                                     of something she saw

but in a moment           
                                                                  he realizes that he is dreaming…

…Standing with Egairia
Pahn wants to give her
                                                            more than conversation

all he has is a poem of a dream
                                                                                           and he knows
                                                             that she doesn’t read poetry
so


quickly
oddly

he conjures                    an African sea captain
 
                    who walks
 
                up the
                 stamped 
           concrete
                     in a Greek
      hat
                   buttoned
       coat
     and
                  greets her

He will interpret….

.

Free Affection

Pahn is lying in a beige

modern classroom

surrounded by women

co-workers

talking happily after hours

Pluta is lying next to Pahn      her hand

beneath the blanket    touching

his bare thigh

speaking softly

he can feel

his penis

          just touching the side of her pinky 

He is thinking he will grow erect

and wondering if she will mind…

…the new woman speaks

older    dark    and solid conveying

a vague prohibition

of something…

…they go to another room

where Pluta    standing

says she has become sick

and must leave…

…Pahn is with another woman

tall and thin    like Pluta

who walks

comfortably with him             wandering

out of the building     and into the street

where Pahn thinks he is free

to be affectionate

his arm around her

and feeling love

They walk                                                           

 into a fruit store     that leads

into a mall

They are followed by another woman     who steals

a wide tray of fruit      for them

 

At the end                                                    

of the mall     a group of late-nighters

in evening gowns

comes through the glass door               Pahn

looks at their bare shoulders             and their breasts

 swelling      above their gowns          as they walk by

then goes with his companion

out into the street

  Pahn recognizes the corner

  where they’ve come out

and leads his date

across the street

into a Catholic cathedral        thinking

he will find a way out the other side 

They wind their way

through corridors        and stairways

that open periodically           onto a concert hall

and auditorium           that becomes

 immense as they climb

the ranks

of empty sage-green seats        sloping

into the distance

and finally

at the top of the stairs

they enter a room where confessions occur

donning the priests’ robes      and lying on couches…

…A man comes into the room

and asks to confess 

He sits by Pahn        and speaks      but Pahn

doesn’t pay attention 

Pahn falls asleep                                                                 

and during the night   he hears

a priest come into the room 

Pahn pulls over his hood                                                      

 to obscure his face     and lies motionless 

   The priest comes over to the couch                                    

to stand over Pahn

for a moment. 

    Pahn looks up                                                             

             surreptitiously                                                   

through his eyelashes           to see

the mans vague      dark      and hooded

figure looking down

then walking away

When Pahn arises

 in the morning             there is

a homeless man

cooking brownies in a skillet

 in the middle of the room 

Pahn walks over to him          eating

the last of his own brownies   thinking

the man’s brownies are made with weed

and his own were not

and that the man

would like him to eat the hallucinogenic ones

but Pahn

 is happy not to be stoned

Pluta

A cave nymph.


Poems
Free Affection
.