AS I WAS WALKING DOWN THE STREET
as I was walking down the street
who should I meet but my two feet
I said how do you do
what 's new with you?
they said who do you think you 're talkin to
we haven't got immortal souls
we need a retread
I said
ha. incomparable wit
and kept on walking the dogs
as I was hanging round the sky
what should turn up but my wall eye
and I said how does it look
from that far corner of my eyeball
through that cockeyed camera?
it said
this trembling image you discard
this shadow of your other self
all you despise for its half-sight
is all you 'll see one day
I looked it straight in the white
and I said, better than glass
while I was wandering in the grass
among the cities of the dead
what should I meet but my own head
bone sockets, nasal cavity
lower maxillary complete
I asked the usual
what 's your advice, hm?
in a bored voice it said
the usual: live today
I says, that 's all you have to say?
I ask for bread, you give me stones
it snarled, I 'm tired of chattering
what do you want from my old bones?
so much for
knowing thyself
I crouched on the shelf of nothingness
without preamble I said nothing
without clearing its throat it replied
nothing.
I stood on my existential feet
screwed on my skull tight
pulled up my flesh to clothe its nakedness
looked hard at nothingness
with my shadow eye
bought some new shoes and went on walking down the street
as I was walking down the street
who should I meet but my two feet
I said how do you do
what 's new with you?
they said who do you think you 're talkin to
we haven't got immortal souls
we need a retread
I said
ha. incomparable wit
and kept on walking the dogs
as I was hanging round the sky
what should turn up but my wall eye
and I said how does it look
from that far corner of my eyeball
through that cockeyed camera?
it said
this trembling image you discard
this shadow of your other self
all you despise for its half-sight
is all you 'll see one day
I looked it straight in the white
and I said, better than glass
while I was wandering in the grass
among the cities of the dead
what should I meet but my own head
bone sockets, nasal cavity
lower maxillary complete
I asked the usual
what 's your advice, hm?
in a bored voice it said
the usual: live today
I says, that 's all you have to say?
I ask for bread, you give me stones
it snarled, I 'm tired of chattering
what do you want from my old bones?
so much for
knowing thyself
I crouched on the shelf of nothingness
without preamble I said nothing
without clearing its throat it replied
nothing.
I stood on my existential feet
screwed on my skull tight
pulled up my flesh to clothe its nakedness
looked hard at nothingness
with my shadow eye
bought some new shoes and went on walking down the street