#254

love's function is to fabricate unknownness

(known being wisheless;but love,all of wishing)

though life's lived wrongsideout,sameness chokes oneness

truth is confused with fact,fish boat of fishing

and men are caught by worms(love may not care

if time totters,light droops,all measures bend

nor marvel if a thought should weigh a star

–dreads dying least;and less,that death should end)

how lucky lovers are(wose selves abide

under whatever shall discovered be)

whose ignorant each breathing dares to hide

more than most fabulous wisdom fears to see

(who laugh and cry)who dream,create and kill

while the whole moves;adn every part stands still:

(id, 74)

#253

the boys i mean are not refined

they go with girls who buck and bite

they do not give a fuck for luck

they hump them thirteen times a night

one hangs out a hat upon her tit

one carves a cross in her behind

they do not give a shit for a wit

the boys i mean are not refined

they come with girls who bite and buck

who cannot read and cannot write

who laugh like they would fall apart

and masturbate with dynamite

the boys i mean are not refined

they cannot chat of that and this

they do not give a fart for art

they kill like you would take a piss

they speak whatever's on their mind

they do whatever's in their pants

the boys i mean are not refined

they shake the mountains when they dance

(id, 52)

#252

“let's start a magazine

to hell with literature

we want something redblooded

lousy with pure

reeking with stark

and fearlessly obscene

but really clean

get what I mean

let's not spoil it

let's make it serious

something authentic and delirious

you know something genuine like a mark

in a toilet

graced with guts and gutted

with grace”

squeeze your nuts and open your face

(id, 30)

#251

may i feel said he

(i'll squeal said she

just once said he)

it's fun said she

(may i touch said he

how much said she

a lot said he)

why not said she

(let's go said he

not too far said she

what's too far said he

where you are said she)

may i stay said he

(which way said she

like this said he

if you kiss said she

may i move said he

is it love said she)

if you're willing said he

(but you're killing said she

but it's life said he

but your wife said she

now said he)

ow said she

(tiptop said he

don't stop said she

oh no said he)

go slow said she

(cccome?said he

ummm said she)

you're divine!said he

(you are Mine said she)

(id, 21-22)

NO THANKS

TO

Farrar & Rinehart

Simon& Schuster

Coward-McCann

Limited Editions

Harcourt, Brace

Random House

Equinox Press

Smith & Haas

Viking Press

Knopf

Dutton

Harper's

Scribner's

Covici, Friede

(Cummings, 1998: 2)

CUMMINGS, E. E. (1998). No Thanks. Edited by Richard S. Kennedy. New York: Liveright.