July 2018
Irving Feldman
feldman@buffalo.edu
feldman@buffalo.edu
I retired from the SUNY Buffalo English Department in 2004. Have published a dozen or so collections of poems. Such my addiction to the sport of squash racquets my headstone is to read: "ONE MORE GAME?" See more of my poems HERE.
Author's note: In this poem a group of average Americans is walking through a slum, where they see a mugging take place. However, since America has become a theme park of itself, they believe they are an audience at a show mugging put on for them. The printed poem does little to indicate its different voices and tones. And so I include along with the text a link to an audio file of my reading of “In Theme Park America.” CLICK on the arrow below.
Author's note: In this poem a group of average Americans is walking through a slum, where they see a mugging take place. However, since America has become a theme park of itself, they believe they are an audience at a show mugging put on for them. The printed poem does little to indicate its different voices and tones. And so I include along with the text a link to an audio file of my reading of “In Theme Park America.” CLICK on the arrow below.
|
In Theme Park America
the mugger raises up his hand for no reason in theme park america every tree is a museum every leaf a monument each flower a flower idea this slum a garden of garbages the world a world still swelling with its first inhalation of eternity everything is larger farther apart the squalor spacious clearer composing a picture of squalor misery is misery with the pure glow of something like forever by whose mild light we see a gleam sharpen in the killer's fist look the other one twists away for our information those wide startled eyes are for our information for our information he is screaming can you hear what he's saying he isn't saying anything he's just screaming so that's how it's done how it happens it's interesting he's not screaming now he's doubled over and we don't have to worry what it means nothing is supposed to mean that will come later when there's more information about the information and so we walk around in families and couples in shorts and jeans and t-shirts and sneakers solemn and docile eating out ice cream because everything depends on going through these motions the whole fragile revelation once we worried sweated I worried once a black revolving thunderhead opaque enormous glob of clenched fists of motives and intentions wanting wanting wanting wanting each hidden behind every other battering to get out demanding to be imagined it hurt unbelievably it was horrible that everything wasn't what it seemed promises broken things blocking the light we didn't deserve that not us we were still good in spite of everything all that's history a long eyeblink ago then america became theme park america every tree is a museum every leaf a monument each flower a flower idea who would have dreamt a miracle could be so easy everything is so simple so transparent one intention smiles from every face to be pleasant and to please to please for example us who simplify ourselves to receive simply gratefully what brilliant good people who have the franchise on reality thought up and made for us this wonderful truly wonderful and give us our role to play too we please by being pleased and showing it addict batterer suicide insomniac senator mugger drunk the baby with the cigarette burns wherever in this great park look at that one look there look over there how amazingly like themselves nothing has changed and everything is different and let's face it no one needs poverty anymore it's not doing anything we don't need these poor people so it's very nice if they're kept on as the poor things our eyes say when we pass in the street I mean we're poor too we're visitors ourselves look at all we gave up to be here we have nothing but our wonderful faith in all this wonderful truly wonderful we're doing the best we can and because behind the scenes another hand is moving the mugger's hand it doesn't hang baffled in the bright air it's doing it right now right here across the street and later maybe we'll know why our wounds our woundedness so deep they keep crying out for some eternity right now we never not us oh no every tree every leaf each flower a flower look look he's gasping look he's looking over here don't look look on the ground collapsed he looks awful like a messed up balloon look at the mugger he's crouching he's feeling around in his pockets I think he's smiling at us he's showing it's terrible it's interesting it's nice it's not dangerous in theme park america we're grinning we're grinning back look at that blue sky it's a perfect day it's perfect here alright if only the whole world of everyone everywhere could see us see how good we are truly good they would be happy they would want to be good please god let's not blow it again let it stay like this forever oh did we see this one before it looks familiar I don't remember I bet you he gets up and walks away please move over I can't see the knife the knife again plunging for no reason but it will not rend no it will miss entirely the innocence of everything |
© 2018 Irving Feldman
Editor's Note: If this poem(s) moves you please consider writing to the author (email address above) to tell him or her. You might say what it is about the poem that moves you. Writing to the author is the beginning of community at Verse Virtual. It is very important. -FF