ONE.
what caught your eye
from the highway
red and blue light
of the Chevron
sign blinking
red and blue fur
standing in for the feathers
five hanging five deep
FIVE! five ripe fruit suspended
for you on a wire vine
like grapes, like carnival prizes
you reached out your hand
from the highway
plucked each one from their fate
plucked the hooks from their backs
“They know that there’s plenty of suffering in the world.”
you reached your hand from the highway.
TWO.
meet Chucko and Buster meet Pete, Bob and Dan
The Boys as you sat and listed each name
Five Woody Woodpeckers all in a row
all of them different and so much the same
these little woodpeckers aren’t just goofs
don’t be deceived by their innocent looks
they spent many years up on Sunset Boulevard
hanging condemned on their own little hooks
they know how much suffering there is in the world
Chucko and Pete, Buster, Bob and Dan
they just want to wish you happiness and peace
the boys know we all do what we can
they tell me there’s happiness underneath everything
a message to hold if you can receive it
all-pervading happiness for all to share in
the more time I spend the more I believe it
THREE.
it was Dan
I saw him smiling
Frank Booth in his eyes
beak bending in the light
turning into an oxygen mask
and I saw him laughing
and I saw the sofa
as we were sitting
it was Pete
and I saw him waiting
in the dark woods
I saw him dancing
arms crooked at the elbows
it was Chucko
farthest to the right
out of the corner of my eye
living in my dreams
living face in the mirror
it was Bob
at the back of the sofa
at the bars of the bed frame
at the crack in the mirror
with the owl in his reflection
it was Buster
and he came to kiss me goodbye
FOUR.
look here
the five-pointed star
bright blue Thracian woman
circling your discordant chords
as you sing sorrows
into the keys
of your royal
a group of woodpeckers
is called a drumming
and I can see them
beating
pecking
moving towards you
not so nicely
on soft yellow feet
FIVE.
Five is the missing reel
The film setting itself on fire
The reel that shows what happened
David opens a blue door and sees
in ten staring hard plastic eyes
something
something in the way a stuffed animal rots
something in the way it judges
something as sure as what waits at the back of the Winkies
something that will kill you on sight
SIX.
The Epilogue in which David is lifted to Heaven
imagine your five blue angels
bright yellow beaks holding out your corners
a star
two wings for each arm to
two wings for each leg
your head cradled
delicate beatific
as you’re lifted to heaven
and in heaven everything is fine
full of blue roses
and girls that make you wish you spoke French
and in heaven you do
there is no band
but jazz pours out of every juke
there’s black coffee of course
God’s darkest roast
and cigarettes
filterless smooth
each drag satisfaction
with none of the harm
i can’t accept that you are dead
that is to say
you dreamed too deep to ever have an end
a heart too wild too transcendent
too tied up in the stars
too connected to the moon
you forever
you live above
you were right of course
one day the sadness will end
i don’t think today’s the day
but then again…