archilochos of johnson county

1
artillery 3,000 miles away
and nearby corn cribs,
busted

2
overgrown
lonely Bohemian graveyard

7
guy in feed cap on park bench
black angel at his feet
reads a paperback as if his life depends on it

11
thunderhead rolling in

12
turkey vultures

14
neither arrows nor bow
I only want to look anyway

15
a boy fiercely hits an apple tree
with a baseball bat
three years bearing
no fruit

19
silos

23
behind the walls
nothing moves, finally
the sour smell of rot

27
rain
sigin in a cornfield Repent thy time is nigh
winds

31
Held fast [.........]

33
harvest

34
I await
your letter like a joke
told in moonlight
and dew

37
cold as
war

42
[On the back
of a grocery receipt,
in shaky script]
dexiokratousa

44
a kiss
[.............] cult of
vinegar

45
sore,
thrillingly raw

49
at the dam
flashes of carp
in your dream
lines of trout

55
heavenly oatmeal

59
seed

60
mouth,
lips and teeth

67
on the playing field
a pathetic struggle
obvious losers, give it up!
your goose is cooked

67
crowded cafe
drinks, laughter
short skirts
white thighs

69
field kitchens
ax heads

72
here is our cistern

74
skillet on a nail

76
grit

77
earwig
silverfish
worm

79
knuckles
grease
canvas trap

80
outhouse fumes
clear the head

83
spring campaign

87
lies!

89
simple minded despot
bleating
about honor and courage
everywhere hues of shit

92
thistles
pumpkins [....................]
wild in the alley
behind the garage

94
once again I failed
to build
a writing shed

97
pestle and mortar
nerve tonic

98
whelps

104
waist-high grasses
bending

105
ditch weed

106
at last
quiet
asleep
in our
trench

114
bark peelings

123
under the shade of the weeping willow
in the river
a Frigidaire

127
the sinking porch
where everyone sat

129
savored dregs

132
sledge [..........................]
wrapped in burlap

133
one summer having nothing to do
you set a collapsing barn on fire
a rag and a whiskey bottle
your old man's dirty lighter

134
phlox

136
ausculated the track
by placing his ear down

137
gas station dinosaur

144
the attic
where you went

149
an inventory of
[............] days:
mannequin
chest of drawers
ewer
girdle
truss
horse glue
mason jars
[...............] and one apple crate
filled with
Classics Illustrated

151
over the far hill
you'll see it
you 'll know its name

153
my creel brims
blessed is the morn


***
The above appeared originally in 1913: a journal of forms, (issue 2, 2005).