Partll: The War June 8, 1988 (Florence to Vancouver) (September 26, 1988/Decem ber 22, 1989) Part II; The War : | know where love has gone Where intimacy has retreated It has lost the battle Not yet, the war. Run guns quickly To the front lines Send help for the wounded For they have not long To live Is to make arms. It has hidden in caves For fear of the light Become useless and furtive And restless with shame. No, Proud love, Worthy of worship, The battle was lost on land, Not at sea. It was cornered in cracks And hidden in hair And now Sweet, sweet, sweat, Laid naked and bare, Examined and denied Its very exist- ence For the moment. It has fled into darkness To wrest itself ( Please Bring arms To those that are open Please bring arms) | woke this morning (In my heart) To the sound of a nightingale And believed the war> (Thy will be done) there are no clear lines Any mores | believed in my side Whichever that was | now no longer know The army has plead for help Fled to the hills Hoping and preparing To strike one more time. (Send help for the wounded A sign to give them hope So they may at least Tonight Sleep in peace. For thine is the power) lam still At the front And, Though | bear no medals (No - one does) | have saved © And | have been saved myself. Please bring arms Or salvation soon For the wounded Walk and talk With festering, festering Memories of how it once had been. It grows dark And we must save the wick | will write in the dark. There are men here There are women here There are children here. A patrol came by They were mercenaries Scattered and patched, They brought stories Of their conquests They wanted nothing And we had nothing to give them Beyond rest and a ranting talk. Darkness falls. Below, the lights of the city In which we once lived And loved Remind me of my garden Untended | will go back there Some day Some how. Some nights the children sing a rhyme From some other time Long ago. And | imagine My garden As | had intended. Now, only the insects occupy it. “Love has fleas Time has ticks And sometimes talks” In the failing light Even these words Written on the walls Of this cave Give me hope And even make me smile Even though | am alone (And yes, Still In love.) The give me courage. (Take heart For these days are long) | can hear gunfire from afar Though | can no longer tell Which side is winning. The last scout has not come back And part of my loss Is that it was she Who volunteered. At first | listened For her whistle Which was her signal As she slowly skirted the terrain Until it grew too faint To hear clearly. With her went my dreams. Perhaps | had fooled myself. Perhaps | had become so convinced That when | returned to the city She would be there. With her went my shape. This cave has become One - small Love has no foothold in this cavity Now It is dark And the crickets rub their legs Incessantly It is hot And the air Almost unbreathable Two visitors have just left They had come before For a tour of the caves We sat swatting mosquitoes And we talked For awhile Only some blood was lost One of them was on a tour of caves (Though he never ventured past The entrance of any) It seemed clear that he would carve his own Since he carried his own tools Often stooping under the weight. Planet of the Arts The light in the cave Throws shadows on the wall Not of present my present reality But the all too real Memories of truth Now Long past. The shades occupy the walls every night Attenuated and animated As the fire’s light flickers | try to spit at these ghosts As they dance away. Sometimes, | have tried to outline Their trace in red. Ever - moving, Until | give up. In the morning daylight | see only a confusion of lines On the spittled walls. | grow weary | have tried my doubts In the morning Just before sleep comes | Am so sure That | can just walk back to the city And It will be lit Perhaps by mermaids with Armfuls of phosphorescent jellyfish. Sometimes by myriads of fireflies Flickering in bonfires But It will be lit (For thine is the glory) QbDYSS Il Volume 7 Issue 3 But Black night comes 1am lost in its blackness And | see no hope for the realm. Once Early one morning As the sun was rising | heard a maiden singing In the valley below. Food is very scarce Though | have attended To an occasional feast here Made from what could be gathered The simplest fare We have no time to hunt. Tomorrow | will go out of this place | must | will Leave this cavity Leave this mountain This limited range without company. | will Go to that garden My garden There is nothing Left For me Here. But lam merely asleep In the morning sunlight Dreaming a dream Of battles And caves. The mountain | dream Is Merely a rock In the garden (My garden) And the furious sound Of the fighting | hear in my dream Is Merely the sound Of the bees Humming in flight As they connect All the flowers In my garden In the summer sunlight. Ee by John Wertschek S | rose And picked up my rake Whistling a tune | once heard from afar. Little Observations a: On the tarmac Something has happened While we sit Uninformed Uniformed Men in red wagons Drive by In haste. Drive by In haste. 2 When | think of women | see Regina Who has my heart But sometimes | hear a Saskatoon. 3; Clever Lovers And Levers Art Best Blessed When Balanced 4. Caraggagio (For Marna) A beautiful child Cradled by a woman Asleep The man Holds a score Fore The angel. Sy Chastity - Is no! Virtue In fact Is virtually Impossible. 6. You are a handsome woman In love with your looks And | am an old man Stuffed with his books. You are a handsome woman Who will lose your looks And lam a young man Still lured by your hooks.* ea ee ee « Parti The War Joe Perea Yacwve) {Selene 2, Haecnbe 2, 18) Pt heir ‘know where love has gone Where intimacy has retreated thas lst the bate [Not yet, the war. ‘un gus qui Tothe font inet Send help forthe wounded For they have not ng Tolve [sto moke arms. Iehas hidden in eaves For fear of the ght Become useless and furtive ‘And restless with shame, No, Proud love, ‘of worship, ‘The battle was lost on land, Notat sea, Ie was comered in cracks ‘And hidden in hae ‘and now ‘Sweet, sweet, sweat, Lad naked and bare, Examined and dened its very exist: For the moment, Iehas fed into darkness Towrest itself (Pleose Tothoze thot ore open Pleote bring arms) | woke this morning {Gry hear) To the sound ofa rightingale ‘And believed the war (Thy wil be dove) there are no lar lines ‘Any mores believed in my sie Whichever that was {now no longer know “The army has plead for help Fed to the ils Hoping and preparing Te strike one more time. (Send help forthe wounded ‘Sign fog them hope So they mayo ost Tonight Slep in peace. Fer thie the power) Za) Jam si tthe front nd, ‘Though I bear no medals (No-one does) have saved ‘And I have been saved ysl Please bring arms (Or salvation so0n For the wounded Wak and talk With festering, festering Iegrows dark ‘Aad we must save the wick Tl write in the dark, There ore men here There are women here There oe chien here ‘A patrol came by They were mercenaries Scatered ond potched, They brought stories Of heir conquests They wanted nothing ‘And we hod nehing to give ther) ‘Beyond rest ond o ranting tok Darkness fl Below, the lights ofthe city In which we once lived And loved Remind me of my garden Untended As thad intended. Now, only the insects occupy it “Love hos feos Tine hosts ‘od sometimes tks" inthe fling tight Even these words Wotten on the walls Ofthiscave Give me hope ‘And even make me smile Even though lam alone ed ye, Su inlove The give me courage. (ole heart Fer these days are lng) Za) {can hear gunfire from afar ‘Though | can no longer tell Which side is winning. ‘The ast cout has not come back ‘And pat of my loss Isha itwas she Who voluntered At ft istened Forher whistle Which washer signal [As she slowly shirted the train Untiit grew too fant Tohear clearly. With er went my dreams Perhaps had fooled myst Perhaps had become so convinced ‘That when retuned tothe city She would be there. ‘With her went my shape. “This cave has become ‘One small love has no foothold inthis cavity Now isdark ‘Ad the crickets rub thei legs incessantly ot 2nd the air ‘Amost unbreathable ‘Two vistors have ust left They had come before Fora tour of the caves We sat swatting mosquitoes ‘and we talked For awhile Only some blood was lst ‘One of them was on a tour of caves (Though he never ventured past ‘The entrance of any) It seemed clear that he would carve his own Since he carried his own tools ‘Often stooping under the weight. Planet ofthe Arts Volume 7 Issue 3 ‘Thelightin the cave ‘Throws shadows on the wall [Not of present my peesent realty But the al to real Memavis of truth Now ong past. “The shades occupy the walls every night ‘Atenuated and animated ‘As the fire's ight fickers Try to spit at these ghosts ‘As they dance away. ‘Sometimes, | have tried to outline Their race in ted ver - moving, Uni give up. Inthe morning daylight ee only confusion of lines (On the spite walls. A I grow weary {have ted my doubts inthe morning Just betore sleep comes , ‘Am 10 sre ‘That can just walk back to the city Aa Teil be Perhaps by mermaids with ‘Arius of phosphorescent jlfish. Sometimes by myriads of fires, Flickering in bones But Ral be (or thine ste glory) ZA ODYSS il but Black night comes. am lost ints blackness ‘And | see ne hope forthe ran. Once Early one moming {As the sun wos ring heard @ moiden singing Inthe valley below. Food i very sarce ‘Though have attended, ‘oan occasional feast here ‘Made from what could be gathered The simplest fare We have no time to hunt. DB Tomorrow Il go out ofthis place ust wil Leave this cavity Leave this mountain ‘hisimtedrange wthoutcompany. ea Goto that garden My garden ‘There is nothing Lett Forme Here aut ram merely asleep Inthe moring sunight ‘Dreaming a dream Ofbatles ‘nd caves The mountain ‘ceca OF the fighting hear in my dream is Merely the sound ‘Of the bees Hurnming in fight As they connect Al te flowers Inmy garden In the Summer sunlight EYS by John Wertstek Sa) rose ‘And picked up my rake ‘Whistling a tune Tonce heard from afar. Little Observations 1 On the tarmac Something has happened While west Uninformed Uniformed ‘Mein red wagons Drive by Inpaste Drive by. nhaste 2. iter think of women {see Regina Who has my heart But sometimes Thea a Saskatoon. 3 Clever overs re levers an Best Blessed When: Balanced 4 araggagi For Mama) Abeautitu child Cradled by a woman Aaleep The man Holds score Fore The ange! s. Chastity Iso! Virtue Infact Isvirtually Impossible 6 You are a handsome woman In fove with your looks fad am an old man Stuffed with his books. You area handsome woman Who wil ose your looks aod lam a young man Stil lured by your hooks"