MARC ELLIS
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new orleans postcard
from:
Beneath a Tin Roof
At the Press Street Wharf
During a Spring Shower
to:
A Solitary Raindrop
c/o The Mississippi River
|
A raindrop
Longs to pool,
Into a yet wetter pool,
Into a pool, perhaps,
Of ultimate wetness;
There's a puddle; take care!
It's filled with desire.
|
[651]
florida post card
from:
The Balcony of a Ramada Inn
During a Lightning Storm
Somewhere in Central Florida
to:
Mr. Wallace Stevens, Esq. (1879-1955)
c/o The Hartford Insurance Co.
Hartford, CT
Postmaster: Please Advise of Forwarding Address
|
A strip of marsh,
A few bare trees,
And white flames dancing,
on Spanish roofs.
"But what's in it for me," yawned Mr. Chang, languidly.
Meringue bands or solitude;
Pretty brunettes, whom I suspect, shower nude;
Shall I scrape a poem from the sidewalk for you, Mr. Chang?
"No. Not unless it's Po Chu-i.
And he resides in clouds, not poetry."
But tonight, I have only Wallace Stevens,
And white Flamenco flames, dancing
On Spanish roofs.
|
[652]
new york postcard #1
from:
A Barstool at the White Horse Tavern
Greenwich Village, NY
to:
Any Poet with a Notion
to Write About Death
Postmaster: Dated Material. Please Expedite
|
"And death shall have no dominion . . ."
Still, it took him by surprise;
A charcoal hanging at the White Horse Tavern
Froze the look. in his startled, harrowing eyes;
It appears even Dylan Thomas
Was taken by surprise.
Poet, write of love and life,
Give us sunsets and cats' tails,
Ignore the Reaper while you can,
At least, that's my opinion;
For his best poet was born in Wales,
And now death shall be his dominion.
|
[653]
new york postcard #3
from:
A Pretzel Stand Outside MOMA
On a Rainy Day in Manhattan
to:
All Pretzel Vendors
In the Kali Yuga
Postmaster: Withhold Delivery until it Rains
|
Midtown, melting in mid-air
Splendor, splashing everywhere;
Too much splendor can kill a man,
Shivering, wet, by a pretzel stand
He hopes to own, one day
When he gets his papers;
Draw near him,
Move past his precious,
Stinking breath;
Divine the visage of Vishnu
Dancing, on the skins
Of black umbrellas.
|
[654]
Marc Ellis was born in 1952 at Wichita Falls, Texas. He attended Troy
State University and received his law degree from the University of Alabama
Law School in 1990. He is an immigration lawyer, composer, playwright,
and poet. He lives in New Orleans. His plays include The Pollster
which was performed in 1992 at the New Orleans Contemporary Arts Center
and was a finalist in the Southern Playwrights Competition. His music includes
"Fields of Vision" by the Half-Moon Duo (Chelsea Records, 1985). |
