The Age of Reasons. Ted Greenwald

been

      to or is a

      shoulder to shoulder to face

      the public

      breasting these civilities

      friendliness

      you find in lobbies

      intimate against undue

      slowed down your movements

      or accidents

      on the strength of

      shifts in posture

      directly across from you, and so forth

      and so forth

      THE COAST

Guard 1:	What time’s it?
Guard 2:	Don’t know. Left my watch home.
Guard 1:	What’s that on your arm?
Guard 2:	Bracelet. (Lights cigaret, offers one to Guard 1)
Guard 1:	No thanks. (Takes out a box) Want a cough drop?
Guard 2:	No. Thanks anyway. Anyone tell you how come we can’t cough?
Guard 1:	Secret. It’s okay with me, though. I haven’t had a cough in almost a year.
Guard 2:	Me neither. Makes me kind of curious though. Figured, why take chances and bought a box of cough drops on the way over.
Guard 1:	The money’s good, so who’s going to complain.
Guard 2:	Not me, for sure.
Guard 1:	Me neither.
(They walk around a little Both wear crepe shoes Flashlights hither and yon Walk back)
Guard 1:	Nothing.
Guard 2:	Been that way more than a month now.
Guard 1:	Sure wish something would happen. Can’t go on eating cough drops all night.
(Third Guard walks up)
Guard 3:	Everything quiet?
Guard 2:	Not a peep. Nothing.
Guard 1:	Nothing. Everything quiet where you been?
Guard 3:	Not a sound. Been on this job more than a year, not a sound. Haven’t missed a night either.
(Fourth Guard walks in)
Guard 4:	Hear anything?
Guard 3:	Nothing.
Guard 4:	Been doing this two years and not a peep. Two years now. Good job, though. Nice and quiet.
Guard 1:	Sort of gets to you a little.
Guard 4:	Just in the beginning. You get used to it.
Guard 1:	I’m sure it’ll go away. I’m not worried about that.
Guard 3:	Nothing to worry about, that’s for sure.
Guard 2:	Nothing to worry about here.
Guard 3:	Anything down the line?
Guard 4:	Nothing. Up the line?
Guard 3:	Quiet. These guys haven’t got a thing here. I guess it’s all quiet all over.

      POEM

      theirs

      dug in the hangars

      wag away like idiots at a bird

      the broad ball rolling through a dream lake

      quickens, feeling the wind, the breath, quicken

      like a scarf caught by a gust

      a cigaret

      finds itself reading in a hand

      making cutouts

      from such real emotions

      as love

      as transcendence

      somehow all look like smoke

      the cares that have piled up pile-drive

      into the skull of tomorrow

      resting on the desk of today to accept neat ashes

      zeros are at 4 o’clock

      while 4 o’clocks bloom at five

      at 12:05 pm, mayday, a lady leaves

      YOU

      you’re looking forward

      to something, and your faces

      show it, something!

      I stand over the smoke

      entranced with your look

      the beauty of your skin,

      how much I love you

      do I feel as much

      if you were or when you

      are ugly a slight turn

      to the right makes me wonder

      IN THE MEANTIME

      our letters

      develop envelopes

      to walk

      to ride

      to bounce

      sightseeing

      often off

      human responses

      IT’S ASKING

      it’s asking

      too much to ask about

      the view when the day,

      one of days pulled

      in the cold shoulder,

      is putting edges on rooves

      to look out is

      interesting enough to be

      around is icing

      so why say anything

      SUNNYSIDE UP

      My fine hand rubs across the knobs on the orange furniture Each few nubs was like a little prayer bead worrying into the sky in search of shape Laffs oiled all the woods when a dream in ocher walked in the crazy trapdoor at the back of my brain The bronze muted the harsh thoughts in the triplex where one traveled by light from level to level

      I was listening to the brown in my favorite elevator

      A bois de rose commingled with a mist of vert bouteille that was jewish in texture mediterranean in outlook and middle american both before and after reason above rinsing like a cross between a print dress and a snowsuit

      Sit Eat Have some grapes My toes grazing cement and aqua from the decline of the chaise longue (adjust to desired height)

      The music was so wonderful I could feel it gritting my teeth rising through my fingers to the back of my hand into wrist and OUCH (shit!) banged my elbow Right in the funny bone That’s smart

      This tan this is all a lot of hooey

      Not long ago I ran into an old beau as a matter of fact my very first beau on the street And I was so shocked His wife was so nice And she smiled the whole time even when my old flame reached right under my dress to see if it was the me I guess he remembered He was really surprised that it was And I was too I thought

      I’d forgotten all that And we made plans to get together for dinner and a sail

      He gave her that clean contemporary look that had little dick in large writing

      And so The Bronzes have packed the car and left for two weeks for destination unknown

      When we got up to the lake there was more swimming boating and barbecues than a soul could handle even with tongs In two weeks this should last us till next year By the second week I was thinking about work and home And everything I was raring to go

      So we went with the orange Rather leathery along the lifeline of the hand The couch in its comfort is now stuck like a bone somewhere in the region of the shoulder The lake was shaped like a lamb chop From the sky the lake