Collected Poems of John Holmes
Holmes, John A., Jr.
2002
A lot going on
A lot going on
Look! That kind of gasoline flies flags! From a mast-tip in sunlight above the pumps, Shaken and lifting ropes of arrow-wings, Signal-pennants, a painter's rag-tree, Yellow, blue, red, yellow, a tent of color Is strung down to fence-corners and posts. That's the gas I'll buy! A tankful of that, And my car and I are a long-tailed comet, Snapping, veering, rushing the hilly sky. I'll never buy gas where there are no flags. Let's ring doorbells of houses fresh-painted, And yell, "You've painted the house! I love you!" And give them a string of flags to hang out. Let's scatter flowers all over their sidewalk And ride back and forth ringing bicycle-bells. That's what I put a red necktie on to say, There aren't enough flags and flowers out, There aren't enough one-man parades in town. Think of all the people whose names Begin with M. Let's give them presents. What letter does your name begin with? G? I'll name a new gas-station after you. Balloons aren't enough for me. I fly Stars and fish, and the northern lights. If I go out to the corner to buy one paper, I ride a surfboard down the street-flow, Waving my arms, and walk back waving the news. | |