Saturday, January 21, 2023

Frank Bidart



Injunction

As if the names we use to name the uses of buildings

x-ray our souls, war without end:

Palace. Prison. Temple. School.

Market. Theatre. Brothel. Bank.

War without end. Because to name is to possess

the dreams of strangers, the temple

is offended by, demands the abolition of brothel, now theatre, now

school, the school despises temple, palace, market, bank; the bank by

refusing to name depositors welcomes all, though in rage prisoners

each night gnaw to dust another stone piling under the palace.

War without end. Therefore time past time.

Rip through the fabric. Nail it. Not

to the wall. Rip through

the wall. Outside

time. Nail it.


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