g oo dnight

G oo d night

by Ed Baker

for

s.s. j.m. d.g. m.b. ev.b.

in this my true home

2

G oo dnight

copyright © 2006. Ed Baker

cover art, art, Korean translation, etc: Ed Bakerdesign & computer layout: Micah Baker, Evlyn Baker

¥

The test of poetry is the range of pleasure it affords as sight, sound, andintellection.... criticism probes only my own considerations. I believethat desirable teaching assumes intelligence that is free to be attractedfrom any consideration of every day living to always another phase ofexistence. Poetry, as other object matter, is after all for interested people.

(L.Z, A Test of Poetry, 1936)

3

ONLY THE POSIBILITY

1

Don't shout at me!

Black ballpoint pen writing out of my mind picture ofall so quickly you this angst

as I can see sing song runrun lalatowards thin ness noddy black hair longerlonger than this line edging 'round is white

teeth bitting pen nibble thinskinned puckerwet lipping purple perfecteyes of vanity seen

window mind makes my out of your undress

open slowly

Raising issues naked black under arm hair glossy and deliberate

Lives in an open window is rush to enterjust a little temerity lets us in the hot air

fuck

Bird lays frequent eggs yet to be fertilized

sit is on three legs as one

4

2

Hard to replicate images by wordsor set the skinny straight up on topnot much else to say or do does

pen record each

detail ?

3

No. A possible development could bepublished here or there

no warning necessaryeven if I could call the pokey turn myself in

look at you again if I doanything

call my lawyer. or, a psychiatrist at least

kiss me before you make a move

out of my mind winter moon not yet a pervasion

writing this poem to you more about lovemakingthan revelation desire or religious experience

5

4

Mind. This pen goes where it wants to gohas no control

goes into places unasked uninvitedbetween lips legs words

publishedso that you can read in Korean in

Chinese Vietnamese German Hebrew in any language

fluently

got you my typewriterpull is by your black hair seductive

he holds tightlyshe holds entirety

over over body body boddhibetween teeth bite tonguetongues

ring bell!

6

CLAY MODEL

A man goesinto

a figure willingly

with an old toolpull is along

long armslegslips

hipsopen

widepursedwithhis

tongueopens rut

fault throughlong black sheen

hairfalling lang

uage works model

morph is minutiaecannot get

eyes

intent

7

wet wrap roundclay

moist keeps needpliant

last leaflets go

it'sshape

8

of lines

drawn

hold is

her

posture

aposeheisno

match

for

9

Long Run #135

run is difficultalong Sligo Creek

sun through

reveal is

sheopens

incrediblewant

desire is

11

Portrait of

only the possibility of inthis shape

dressed in crimson you

standing

Tall Standing Korean Beauty

what seen

skeined bundle

appearing

in mind

everything

12

Face Turned to the South

todaythe still slow warhas gotten beyond me

I imagine Yellow Flowergrowing on the wall

a girl a woman is in a red dress I have not seen her wear before

her loose movement in a wet dress asshe goes downVestry Street

f.c.'s

13

rain rain incessant rainscratching above my head

raccoons

not a single callall week

only sound Sun Young's flute

far away

for company her photograph how pleasant!

14

3 a.m. March 17, 1998

On whitesheetsyou came

while outside rush towards spring

to windowto see

you slipinto comical positions

reflection in patternsbeyond cracked pane

storm glass in eyesdiscovery of

long thin image

girl in yellow skates upon one leg in front of me wheels

center around any more than body demands

throws open wakes me !

in this light leap beyond

OH !

15

eternal woman bent over abundant curves' accentuate is drawn

can see you naked dancing

freeze image freeze mind in hershort arms rail fingerinto color of primary

your tone sharp wordsspoken into wind tempers

I dare not speak to...

16

A VIEW OF...

I hardly knew you thenand stillyou slowed me downI deliberately kept adistance for clarity

to geta different perspectiveI moved a ladder to thewindow

climbed to the top andsat there for weeks gazing

gazing down at the top of your head

your flat nosestuck on the glass

hanging down long black hair

curling tiny breasts

everything aglow

a certain view of things so close that I can touch

17

It's Equanimity

poetmakes lovewith a woman

a girl is

a poet with aman s name

places on ricepaper

exact replica

where period isalso place

defines a communicationnot otherwisepossible

he an old man unprotected in manner

thank you, dear

don't mention it

(1271997)

18

Old Poet Sits Near Back of pastry shop

1. His needs return to the Everyday Café to see what s been done on her behalf

2. (when her sonofabitch dilettante husband suddenly went back to his mother) left this whitehaired poet with

art and poems

3. He eats from her plate

catfish jumps off plate

into lap

swims away

4. Her lips the color of pomegranate

kiss is light and moist

hugs him in front of her

father

19

5. Delight rising just ahead

of want

gaze is into eyes

into mind

6.

ripe cay cay fruit pink juicy

small persimmons

her offerings

7.

play is with flower

long torso

disheveling

full moon rising

2 August 1987

20

The Trench

longdrywait

for20 years

lean on shovel

irrelevantwho said whatto whom

or had made senseofanymore than it s doing

Fill 'er up

appeal isto mergewords with

lips holeup iswith her

song and point

all elsebrick to brickawall is

22

mud luscious

fills crack gape is

that open

is a

dissolution

I love the slimy

*

Ding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!comes out from upright Underwood through open windowfight mad

how is this possible ? this anger the distance make is by black pen drawing outline of her

the straightest way to point it out

23

pursed lips redSong hunt is down

intosilence

bare shoulders entitles

herselfjust beinga surprisesuddenlyred andredderamongflowerfigurenoreplycanshake

what's a phantasy ?

25

Not knowing why ... then goes

1

in this heat and sacred momenthe hear s: “I love you” audible

enough moreso of

2

Now ! silence plays heart felt worst reply not understanding wanthe enters his art and craft in and orders

to survive

3

“no one said ...”not in secret is anything revealed

trust delivers invitation

4

words gentle his imaginationperhaps image overwhelms

embrace in silence

26

what more gets ushere

conjunction drives

best beby love

nowherelongingpenetrates

isintoherwithouthesitation

eye demands

breathing

in and out

it's particular rhythm

27

one nuance

dig

is in to

hands over

an archeology

28

THE TRENCH

long drywait

leans shovelagainsther

fence

relevantmudluscious

whosaidthat

thismakessense

anymorethanit s

doing

29

Calling Your CellPhone

I wanted to talk to youbut waited another weekto hear your voice

sun young s o n g

eyes wide my own seen open O s

with aclick rotary person answers

this writmore thannecessary

full moon arched across

which is not that easy to say imagine

last to speaklust ofnot exactlywhat is meantor done

heard through wrong end ofreceiver don't take it personally

only want is nothing more nor nothing lessbreed is angertongue in mouth

30

BRING IS HERE

towards exact

bend withKorean Spring Orchid

some flower !

I'd saybychance (or choice)things are risky

abrupt hangup

31

FILL 'ER UP

between sheetsbetween legswords lips

embrace

allthumbs

appeal isto merge

with wordswith lips

holeup in point outwhat matters

allelse

a supposition

32

Blue Guitar

shapes all

distance

leapsability

herplay is

in hereyes

the wayanimalssee

hands

eyes

lips

shapeof

demandisriseabovemore

thanonenuance

33

choiceopenshand

dig isintoan

allure

is in

to

who saidandputhandonanythingmorethanit's doing

34

Tuesday in Lax

whatgetsusherebychoice

orchance

conjunctionsdriveit sregularity

betterpracticeonanempty

stomach

belt isunbuckled

behind isexposed

gate swingopens

closes

35

THE FALL

gets usintoa relationship

what s moreis not yetcommunal

first breathvanquishes

thenleaves

aflutter

crawl is upmountain

tokissred

lips

36

LETTER OF INTENT

All so legalinsist is thatone foot steps into

to test waterin front of passion

upstairswho

rent is dear

black what need is signal from her

for instance: hair no fingerinto can muss

not at all necessary to be

alonein thisalso hung

is opposition

table by featherbed a groupin front of photograph

everyone in front of house a string of lovers

briefly no onein particular

37

know is full wellnothing of my Love Letters

legal documents

WOW

accountability practice

Oh, Baby! ......

against thissuckingtodraw milk

with wet lips

more advisenot heeded

Cut !

Cut !

deepersignstakeandgive

simultaneously

38

all is just

so

let

it

39

REGARDING WHAT

givenwhatmanifests

itisclearwho

doeswhattowhom

issilencebetweengive and takemorethancan besaid

Not Knowing Why...Then Goes

into this heat and sacred moment he hears her plainlysay: "Do what you want with me."

Want demands other posturingNow demands silence play is with mind reply is not an understanding of whyset is into his rocks apart frommatters and survival

"no one said it would be easy"

41

words image

possibility in her

UNTITLED

ample thighs reveal is also among scrawny daylilies her swing moves heads to eyes eyes to seehead hair deliberately flung let out into the open

she

findingthatandthisandthere

nothingsolidtostandon

onefootinmud

stand upstraight

42

tilthead

shake balance

bluesky

reachfor

open mouth

only wordclearing thebite of

want

hereeven see

beyond

anger

feelings

cutthroughsteamyriseandsunlitlegs

gone

43

In This a womanwithlong fingers,hands, hair

vine round loss for oneword out of her mouth her tongue goes into

pull is

between sheetsbeside the bluepillow

tawny girl a woman is with

bright is in

I m age i nation

language tells whatis meant

he unbuttons summer dress

the one withtheyellow flowers

44

FINGER BOARD

she knows her frets and stopswell below neck: the curve, theswoop play is tune just below

she is play in morning break

everything follows opening closing

up down

windows reveal awide dichotomy

bend is to smile

pour fills cup

long, slow

sip

OH, TO LINGER !

46

Skin is only Circumference

certain border limitsgirl

defineslimits

Oh My ! she said:

I recognize meinthismirror

one look

I just don't know.

Do you

know what I mean

exactly ?

47

or point into I ?

g oo dnight through window open to give and take ME!

Letters

translate

simultaneously from my heartmind towards center these heaves

48

full

halfyes itisme

Don'thaveanotherheartattack

even from hearts where mind locates with tongue into mouthkiss es continue . . .

messageso muchmorethandesire

to write:

seeing you again againdream opens original innocence fractures lowest commondenominator zero is seen is full embrace

nothing remainsknow is that in names facts are same intellectsuch mystery her body her faceIlong into go just here now.

49

"STAY HERE!. I LOVE YOU!”

takes me in go is into word hesitation reveal is found in this perfect symmetry

I have candles burning in my r o o m. Scent on t sudden breeze

playing in YOUR music

dance...

drum on Stone older than words I write this Song all adequate pluck strings letters everyone can

as you do in dreams

50

ONE

tip sy he doesn't resemble image just madeyet in this wine remembers every detailevery want soft moist she criesher sobs are also speech words

demand

gets us here by choice desire is ok

much less gets through

52

play is in the open Song is here in heart

cloud's drift is expectation

take is into ...

놀이는 열려있는 것에 있다 노래는 심혼(마음) 에 있다 여기에서

구름의 편류는 이다 기대

포획은으로 있다. . .

53

g oo dnight

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