Poems August 16 2024

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Poem No. 1269 ( Possibly Preening ) • The next day, in almost precisely the same spot • Another, more youthful pigeon looked at me for a little while and maybe smiled? • Do pigeons smile? • I daresay this one was not reflecting on existence • This pigeon was standing much more erect, as if showing off • Preening • I think the pigeon was preening • Or maybe, after observing me doling out peanuts to the squirrels • The pigeon was like, what have you got for me? • At some point it must have been clear that I had nothing for the pigeon • But the pigeon remained, possibly due to exhaustion, possibly preening • Possibly for some other reason, or possibly for no reason • It's possible pigeons do many things for no reason whatsoever • I don't know • As far as I know, I have never been a pigeon • As far as I know • 8/16/2024 • Poem No. 1270 ( When I Was a Pigeon ) • When I was a pigeon I flew up, down and around • I would perch on branches and fences and I'd shit upon the ground • When I was pigeon I found female pigeons hot • I'd get behind them and go inside them and give them all I got • When I was a pigeon, I lived life with relative ease • Except when I had to look for food, I did just as I pleased • But now I am a human with responsibilities • And sometimes I am burdened with enormous difficulties • When I was a pigeon all was ignorance and bliss • But no life I have ever lived has been as good as this • 8/16/2024 • Poem No. 1271 ( Reincarnation, Revisited ) • On a certain level, reincarnation makes sense: • The tiny superstrings, or bits of consciousness, or whatever it is that makes up the material world • Break down, reconfigure, reassemble, and reemerge as beings of greater or lesser complexity • But the idea that the I that I am now • Was once some other person with my same consciousness • Such that I can somehow now access the memories of the person I was then • Contains far too many leaps of reason for me to embrace • Back then, the buck stopped there • And now, it stops here • 8/16/2024 • Poem No. 1272 ( Incarnation ) • It seems to me that everything there is • Is made up of the same stuff • Each of us is an incarnation: • We once were parts of other incarnations • And later we will be parts of other incarnations • But once I am gone • The consciousness that is constituted within me • In this particular configuration • Will be gone as well • And I am comfortable with that idea • Or, at least, I am right now • 8/16/2024 • Poem No. 1273 (“When I Was a Carnation”) • When I was a carnation, and bees buzzed around me • And pollinated me, and I was able, with their assistance • To reproduce asexually • Did I dream of one day being able to have sex? • Did I observe humans, or pigeons, or squirrels • Fucking on the grass right next to me, and think to myself • “Damn, I wouldn’t mind getting in on some of that action?” • And here’s another question: when I was a carnation • Was I the very carnation that somebody passed by that one time • And then became inspired to invent Carnation Instant Breakfast Drink mix? • Almost certainly not: Carnation Instant Breakfast Drink • Was introduced to the world in 1964 • Whereas I was introduced to the world in 1960 • I suppose I could have been a carnation in 1959 • And five years passed before the inspiration came to fruition • In the form of the drink mix • But I rather doubt it • 8/16/2024 • Upcoming/Promo: • Quest For Fire, the incredible King Missile (Dog Fly Religion) cover band, featuring members of King Missile (Dog Fly Religion) (including me) will be performing an EARLY SET on Tuesday, August 27 at the Bowery Electric (327 Bowery, NYC). We’re on FIRST at 7:30 PM. Proceeds go to Waggy Tail Rescue!! • https://www.ticketweb.com/event/waggy... • In less than three weeks, King Missile (Dog Fly Religion) will be performing, at 10:00 PM on Saturday, August 31, in the Catskills! I'll be doing a reading around 1:00 PM the same day. Tickets and more info here: https://app.promotix.com/events/detai... • Saturday, September 7, I will be performing once again as part of the Bushwick Book Club. More info and tickets here: • https://www.bushwickbookclub.com/even... • My most recent self-published book is called The Marina and Other Poems, and it contains all of the poems I wrote in July. I know it’s August already, but I’d like to think some of the poems from last month still hold up. • Kindle available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DBR8TH38 • Paperback available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DBV5JZ94 • • The complete Number Series (paperbacks of each month’s book going back a year and a half, and kindle books through October 2020): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3Z72NY6?...

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