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"