12 Months on 7th - 8

8

working off the fat of the last hundred years is hard. H has to stop
and read each sign that comes to him. the buses are harder to read the
repetition though finally announces the subject never does it change
until one morning another sign has replaced not z, y, x ever or find a
plasma tv in a store window (usually it's just alluded) take a prone
state and watch silently for hours or minutes or seconds. his coat
sleeve is torn around the buttons (watching the hole) loose threads
single gray brown black blue from the hole a head appears big white
teeth laughing jerking around, "take the signifier, apple," the face is
bright red and disappears through the front door all is silent except
for the occasional bus or car take the preposition and place it in the
can take a verb and drop it after a name: two big feet seeing nothing
but staying still a halo glows from the window

12 Months on 7th - 7

7

"can each part be as important?" H is reading the L.A. Times opinion
section from from from 2 weeks ago, ago. "can each word be..." H looks up
at the 7th Galleria, "is it whole?" forget it. stamped on the, stamped
on the sidewalk, stamped on the sidewalk is a Che Guevara silhouette.
two buses roll by (what subject?) to South Park Staples Center and on,
on and the flies hover overhead waiting to land circling waiting for
the grammar to correct itself waiting for the punctuation to end and
reappear as if: they… the period, comma, exclamation, quotation marks
would cross the street to be with the downtown library. oh shit! up the
street a man is walking fast eyes furiously looking for a slow walker
one walker with a wallet. CRASSSHHH! "oh, sorry." And on down the
cement walking path he went H gets up and turns around

12 Months on 7th - 6

6

W can't tie his shoes this morning no bending no reaching no one to
hear what is written "oh at odds," identity and the walking up the
street footstep after footstep, "what do you do with it," now isn't
interesting enough for a remembered breakfast in St. Louis or Peoria –
OK remember all that no one is really behind it all: the temperature
has dropped 10 degrees you can't do this well and do another better
drop it in a trash can think it can be learned the technique and good
'god' work at it over and over and over

12 Months on 7th - 5

5

one being the two being again one then following street lights standing
500 meters apart (not L.A. language) the bus driver pulls over the
doors open looking ahead after looking at her watch the same subject
and people: pardonable acts on the staircase blanket martyr man walking
in open toed shoes asking for nothing not nothing to ask for to begin
the stop watch and stop it as if going to the end was a knowledgeable
knowing all not all anyway self conscious impression mirrored in the
restaurant windows faces looking back amid the others "is it impression
really, or the need to know?"

5.1

one that is both that they are again lights of a street of following
that are stopped 500 meters of separated (L.A non-language.) the pulls
of the driver of the bus on the doors the same subject and people open
to anticipate after watching its clock: the acts pardonable in the
stairs cover the man with martyr that walks in the shoes touched with
the end of the foot open which they do not request anything nothing not
to request to begin the shutdown clock and to stop it as if going to
the end or it was informed knowing all not all anyway reflected
conscious impression of the one same one in the faces of the windows of
the restaurant which they seemed back in the middle of others "is the
impression really it, or the necessity to know"

12 Months on 7th - 4

4

incrustation around the lid of the peanut butter jar empty
fixed in character variable in extent pointing north dash
board compass saying "supernatural events influenced by..."
to the naked (no glasses, lenses, laser cuts) eye pulled by
the thirteenth letter of the alphabet – surrender get down
on your knees and kiss the cement (imagine the dirt below)
dream about a cocktail from the fifties remember? The
electric train went to Corona went to Long Beach:

4.1

incrustation around to the premises of the specified
protection of the emptiness of the bottle of character
of the peanut in the 0 variables of the letter in the
width, of that has the reference that the compass of the
north of the cover of the warning of the introduction
interested of directed "supernatural of the cases... (the
crystals of glass, are against, cut to him of the laser)
with the luminous eye cocktail of marked years 50, the
end to remember if of tenth letter three of the
transmission of the extensions of the alphabet for deeply
inside his nose and covered the glue ideal (the dirt for
smoothly is I use fact), ignited? the course that the
electrical worker was to the crown was to regulate the
length in the beach:

4.2

incrustation around to the premises of 
the specified protection of the emptiness of the bottle of
character of
the peanut in the 0 variables of
the letter in the width, of
that has the reference that the compass of
the north of the cover of the warning of
the introduction interested of directed "supernatural of
the cases... (the crystals of
glass, are against, cut to him of
the laser)with the luminous eye cocktail of
marked years 50, the end to remember if of
tenth letter three of
the transmission of the extensions of
the alphabet of
for deeply inside his nose of
and covered the of
glue ideal of
(the dirt for smoothly of
is I use fact), of
ignited? the course that of
the electrical worker was to the crown of
was to regulate the length of
in the beach:

4.3

incrustation of
protection of
of
width, of
north of
interested of
crystals of.
with the of
end of:
transmission of
inside of
smoothly of
electrical of
length of

12 Months on 7th - 3

3

The bed						is
Centered against the forward			wall
A						toilet
A lavatory cold water				only
A						window
Above the					porcelain
Wooden						floor
No rug single bed				directly
Across from					a
Door						north
Picture hanging to the				left
Low drawers					east
No landscape					not
Interior either as no				cycle
Or						imitation
Before						now
Cement floors bars a				bench
Low ceiling					twelve
Others staring into each			others
Eyes waiting					for
Movement					waiting
To						go
Forget						this
Smell						to
Forget this					waiting
To walk away to					walk
The room					is
Four floors					is
Up stairs musty smell				is
Another scent					is
The memory					beauty
Is once						enjoyed
Once repelling					once
Remembered					once
A spiritual experience an			agreement
(a dead angel fallen				once)
The pigeons come in the				window
Shitting					all
Over the					room
Plastic sheeting covers the			bed
Only for					sleeping
All						else
Is layered by years				by
Dust in those layers				by
Remnants of moisture in 			lines
The pigeons come in the				window
Shitting					all
Over the					room
Plastic sheeting covers the			bed
Only for					sleeping
All						else
Is layered by years				by
Dust in those layers				by
Remnants of moisture in				lines

12 Months on 7th - 2

2

the clouds are never puffy here haze on a complete layer of flat gray
clouds lays over 7th beat the sidewalk with an old broken umbrella
black and torn they say "terror" when walking the stopped escalator it's
strife when the huge fountain is stopped it's lies when the doors are
closed and locked it's vengeance when the spotlight and booming voice
(speaker) awakes you at 5am: throw a rock and it misses no one notices
"get up and go to the Mission." intemperance when pulled into county
jail and let go at 3am to walk seven blocks altercation with the
staffing sergeant about the lost blanket the bag of cans the fear that
invites exhilaration the hardening and tension the fingers temples
battle screaming alternating "they are assholes, you are a mother
fucking scum shit face," please forget the murder the son against the
mother

12 Months on 7th - 1

1

walking in from Commerce, after riding the train in from Fontana. Cold
June early morning. Kerouac is dead, Ginsburg, Neal/Dean, oh fuck even
Burroughs... but not Ashbery, Ferlinghetti, Strand – forgot Bowles dead –
the map of the unloving/unborn unfolds. a critic asks, "do you care
about the time line?" well (long drawl) does it all happen in sequence?
Or in parallel sequential waves?

Pico and Olympic

The corners are curved here with access to the street for handicapped persons.
Step the wrong way and you will have a sprained ankle and then be handicapped.

Remember to aim for the middle of the ramp and bounce up as you
hit the lip of the slightly raised curb; you will glide over
and onto the sidewalk with ease. Beware of your speed at this
point, you may be going to fast and might endanger others and
yourself.
 
Drop it into first gear quickly and brake. Look around before:


Your sides			Split with laughter
No walking here			While watching the news
Your sides			Ache from laughter
No walking here			Split with laughter
Watching the walking trip	Stay away from doors
Watch the walking fall		Stay away from windows
Watch the walking crawl		Stay away from stairs

The contrast from ten = explaining – (talking x silence)
Forget the equation(s): pull forward and park
Drop the anchor
Call out for Rum

‘The tears of love
Flow down my face
Creases of skin spread
The water’s flow 
To the corners of my mouth
Where it spits away from my head
Slapping you in the face, The Red Rose
Of Love, the thorns slicing your
Arms as you (they) draw away in pain’

The brightness from nine = silence + (explaining / talking)
Click on the calculator: reach for the sparkling water
Reach for the lemon wedge
Step on the accelerator
Spin around 
Tightly

Struggling around		Dropping bread
Unsteady and crying		From a bag
Watching the pigeons		To the ground
Pecking pecking pecking		Pecking pecking pecking
Watch the pigeons peck		Knock on the windows
Watching the pigeons eat	Knock on the doors
Watching the pigeons land	On the stairs

Alpine Street at Grand cont.

4

They say				"This
Is Alpine Street,"			they say
It					because
It 					is
A DWP					truck
Rolls up to the				corner
Rolls to a stop:			while
While					while
"So you					see"
That is					Grand
No one is allowed			to
Pee 					pee
On					Grand
Exposed these				words
A					deception
Water gushing				upward
No					one
Saying it's				gushing
The play "the word"			sincerity
Drop					it
Internalize it while it			is
Dropping dried				snot
Wisdom					past
Erinnyes speaking			through
Bad					teeth
Good wrath clean water			beautiful
Bodies					locked
Together turkey				sandwich
Tortillas beans rice coffee		cream
Dreams that followed me			talking
Incessantly evaporation			that
Turns					the
Street					the
Walls into				the
Words reflected by images		Hepburn
Driving the point on			the
18th following into 19th		never
Watching only acting never		impulsive
Always impulsive			in
Details in				lower
Case words				so
You					see
This					is
Alpine					street

Alpine at Grand

3

Screaming					again
Backed into					a
Doorway blackness dark night			and
Screaming louder				again
No sleeping a version				truth
Some						praise
Grand version					of
Truth one that is				never
Reached						just
Space (inner)					a
Story about the lack				of
Available light					drawn
Lost irrelevant					suffering
Acquired					through…
Time is defined in				decades
Third to fourth the				deeds
Change from					words
To						actions
Divided between					known
Anger driving through the			street
Red						black
Thoughts reeling over over			in
Deflecting verbal				continuity
Screaming					against
The darkness					stillness
A						car
Hits a fire hydrant				water
Gushing						fifty
Feet high					next
To a street lamp				water
Creating					a
Shadow on the sidewalk				and
Street the					car
Is gone						no
One						arrives
It’s time for a					shower
Clothes off quickly washing			washing
Stop screaming					stop
Itching						so

Alpine Street at Grand 

2

"Fuck					me"
The words				rise
And fall into a				hole
Single view double view			one
Eye					blind
The perspective				trips
Over the...				walking
Back then again forth			to
The					sam'
Corner					fly’s
Following my				arms
Babbling, "Fuck me, fuck		you."
Point to front right			tires
Those cars				stopped
The					light
Changes and				the
Thought is gone with			the
Vehicle					the
Vehicle 				the
Cup					it
In your					hand
"Selected information"			facts
Say them				if
Promote them if you			if
“You promised you did”			if
Canaan meets my eyes			if
Capacity reaches			if
"Fuck					me"
will note that this			isn't
Pornography but the imagination		in...
Eager minds to learn			if
Subject					noun
"Oh love				poems"
I					love
Them they				make...
Cross the street yes			again
Cross the street around			yes
Reaching into				a
Pocket for some change			a
Quarter maybe				a
Dime					who
Who has					dimes?
"Fuck					me"
Corner					crossed

Alpine Street at Grand

1

Fatty					matter
Pearly smoky				growing
Light passing contact that		sits
Feeling the				weight
The					over
Belt hanging sun that's			setting
Peeing again this time			on
The grass				against
The					tall
Plants					vary
Then					sit
Stomach at				attention
Tie a					loop
Of rope					is
This gaining access?			Keeping
Possessions secret from you?		that
Esophagus around the basket		handle
Fearfully				forced
Into a					parting
Neck					line
Ceased and 				stopped
Begun					pushed
Across by				thumbs
Is					it
Disdain? The pages flip			over
Stop at					sketching
Yellow					grass
Within the last time			week
That isn’t concise to			turning
The doorknob and entering		thrown
Confused you				that
Larynx sounding				rough
Take this				the
Distress				the
Substance				the
Regret					but
No guilt				you
Say "humiliation			is
How commitment				is
Gauged in				equity."
Oyster shining				shrinking
You					can
Smell the rotten acuteness		in
Vertical alpine meadows reach		up
Openly take out the			blanket

4th and Wall

6

from 4th and Wall walking to Crocker 
past San Pedro past it's language spell
or letter it and ask anyone if and why
they understand it "Do you?" the reader,
are you really reading these words and
if so "Do you really give a shit?" what
does syntax and meaning mean to you?
anything?  do you understand "signifiers?"

the train from Fontana derailed in Commerce
"oh we were hungry." do you know what
an artifact is? and do you really...
an eye on the ground one
in the air deception, reality words
from the LA Times

4th and Wall

5

the temperature is lower in the alleys
lower even here but it's Santa Monica
only low clouds June weather June weather
warming up Wilshire Blvd toward La Brea
sings out of stores out of clothing stores:

since having all toes removed walking is
a breeze a free feeling tonight the drinks
will flow flowing into your mouth into
your thoughts "Is this your house?"

Can I park my car?
Where do you know me from and why? A
person a man a woman a full time bitch
car salesman beggar fearful husband pre-owned
and proud loser of fortunes stand up
and take you're fucking clothes off it's
a prize some wish

for wish for then forget wish for then forget

4th and Wall

4

put some glasses on read a so many
sounds ears back forward nose sniffing
the air in figure it round it well out
someone in black with badges rides by
and points to the left a cement mixer
stops and several people walk around
waiting taking tubes and attaching them
to a long line take one moment express
a feeling express a noticeable feeling
scratch those sun spots those teary eyes
that don’t focus would you be able to see
if this Minnesota garden left you blind
and debilitated with multiple sclerosis
are we confused you and me walking back
and forth

4th and Wall

3

Over the					paunch
Chain link fence surrounds			the
Sidewalk					there
At the freeway entrance				Pasadena
Time						tide
Waiting cut					off
Chain						link
Fence “When					all
Stitches sew the sentence			up.”
Up						where?
Between						the
One						meter
Steps of					poured
Concrete:					in.
We are such crap…				yielding
Capital ethic					working
The ‘in’					service
Of some						rising
Material function				faith
That						rings
With						salvation
“Ah! Yes”					idealism
OK!						Run
With						blocks
Of bricks stacked one				upon.
Do you really capture				this
Essence						panorama?
Are expressing a				truth?
Are						you?
Rough winds					higher
Up around the building 				roof (tops)
See the						clouds
Then						breathe
Notice the					roses
Decoding meaning within a 			two
By four square along				side
Your						thoughts

4th and Wall

2

Drooling in					the
Drivel under the pillow				putting
The 						past
Into parallel with the				next
Day						present
"Don't read					it
This						way."
One eye						on
The sky the other				closed:
Watching					red
Spots						waving
While						spinning
In a						bathtub
Whirl						pool
This brought back some				wound
Repeated cycles					that
"Lean						over,
Head in						the
Street."					It
Could						contain
Injustice shared				over
Uncertain					Christ
Like						tendencies
To dream up pain				separation
A soul lost a					cold...
"Just						drivel"
Laid on the table				in
No 						real
Order bound					to
Doubt, just looping back			again
The newspaper said 'confluence'			it
Read						one
Eye open					it
Reached into					a
Pocket pulling out a				fresh
Band						aid

4th and Wall

1

Touch me					then
Place a towel over				my
Eyes;						two
Eyes	that M knows				in
Watching					the
Reflection, -spection				to
Where						W
Waits while					balancing
M does the same,				too
Function					words
Place						holders
Wall						Street
4th Street					yet
No						bank
Ing, no ATM touch				me
Then W						vomits
Two						legs
Waiting, the					street
Holds						asphalt
M						does
The same					also
Sewing						jeans
First						floor
Touch me again since				you
Pulled a shirt on				over
Pronounce					it
"Patterns from a Miles				Davis"
Catalogue					Creeley
In a						box
Turn it over and 				look
The tube slippery walls				hands
Hanging						sliding
Falling down					again
First splendor					seen
Airless horizon smoke valley,			too
River						moves
Then we						touch
The towel hides us				again
Closed						eyes

E Riding the Crane

4

Pictures of loved ones, a son, a daughter. Eight and nine
Dresser full of socks and underwear, mothers old wedding
Ring. Sit up for a young bastard outside you look "Rejecting
Everything in meter, but you can't lose meter," condemned
Younger than you, you say

Stagger up					The basis
A flight of					The base
Stairs each					The true thing
One an inch					'Edmund out'
Higher or					'Edgar in'
Lower de					Please take
Pending on					This land
Eyesight					Back take
Yours that					This letter

Unbuttons your shirt unbuttons your pants you won't fall
From this height you know the steel that is being built
Overlooking it: lights swing up words fly up
Misunderstood.

E Riding the Crane

3

The machine slows and stops, lights out a...
Free verse, a passage through, a freeway. A
Song ringing through the stereos
On Main Street. Night song. Echo, not a 

Resolution, not. At 5am workers
Park and talk. Walk to the construction
Site. Seven thirty pm a dozen 
LAPD cruisers are parked on First
Street. "I'm looking up, I'm looking down."
News vans, helicopters: between the streets
In alleys (if you can find one) are
Many that haven't (has no one) noticed.
'A fire hydrant sits, looking out, look
Ing in,' dripping, drip. The water flows
To San Pedro Street and dives into
A drain. "We will not go to the sea, not
Tonight." Or any other night. Words bouncing,
Bouncing off building walls. 9pm the arm
Swings 180 degrees: spotlights from invisi
Ble birds in circles flying, or...

E Riding the Crane

2

Opposite the swinging arm: a face
In the forward window. Hanging not re
Flected, hanging not floating, "A
Glance, truth is an accident." When

Two eyes, little happy faces staring
Out. "Mystery and night, planets revol
Ving in the existent and non, lost 
The child (care)." The school is down the
Street, it's yellow with basketball courts.
Years... that's it. Five hundred yards away. A
Way, "Bark bark bark." Where to work?
'To work tomorrow, work tomorrow.'
Nobody is hearing, listening, comp
Prehending. "Heal it." The space over
The kitchen sink, teas, vitamins
Soap, old pictures of dogs, dead, alive.
Witchcraft and goddesses, "She left me a
Lone, again." Unintelligible
Messages rising up, floating.

E Riding the Crane

1

Seven thirty PM Los Angeles
And First. Haze, dust from a new building, a
Pile of concrete, a pile of metal
Hanging wires and bright lights, yards

Of fencing, signs lit from behind: were 
It to be that one would leave un-affect
Ed. Behind, the couch, the TV, the liq
Our. No not the wine. A son dis
Solved wife and husband, out nine years.
Last night the ghosts were flying in from San
Bernardino ("H you have a head
Like a potato.") you can add
To this if you want, most won’t, the masses
Typing away in the... surrounding us
Is repetition, "Ah, the subtlest
Sound, tap the dancing and spin it
Around," would you, you take this brick, a
Brick, rusty shovel. He's climbed fourteen
Flights of metal stairs, the mirror, "The
Heightened social corruption
That settles." Swinging to the left, swing
Ing to the right, a full circle. As the
Sun sets. The engine quietly works
While a helicopter circles, opposite.

Sleeping at Rose Street

3

And, "Lying on the sidewalk, a
Sleep," watching the 'Rather'
Watching the doorway for a
Sign. "More cannot be done, not now, not

Now." Does a wall rise to hold a
Winter rain from flowing
Into a house? Through the win
Dow more reflections of 'Nike.' Eyes close.

When loss is coupled with many
Deaths. Repeating, repeat
Ed, here the last song sung
Gertrude, Claude, Caesar, Ha... ving no one, no

Where. Holding up a bottle to
Drink again, "No winter
Rain in May." Sing alto
Gether now, "No winter rain in May!"

A microscope gathers under
Light the nails. Fingers
Swollen and pale. "You can look
At this face," raising the arm. "It's no

One I know," lowering the arm.
Lowering the activity
Lowering the neurons, low
Ering. "Say, is it chance or accident?"

Sleeping at Rose Street

2

...Of cars stopped while a man waves a stop sign in
Repeated motion, in re-peated
Waving, "Some of the concepts can't be
Forced, they... those patterns of speech engaged words

Pulled from tongues and mouths by." Relation-ships
Appear deficient. The tangle that
Surrounds and be-moans the thoughts that envelope
And whine. Four wheels pass by at a time, "A human

Mind in the box-wood hedge," the sleeping tired, the
Unfocused image a head pressed
Into the wall by a shiny boot eyes
That open, a mouth, "This may seem like power o
Ver change, you may think this boot is a final act."

Between an open door and someone
Standing blocking the entrance, Joe Pass play
Ing "............" the afternoon sun warms the hands. Re-wrapping

Over and over re-wrapping. A ra
Zor, double edge, sleeves are back in
And pulled, "This that is turned to clay."
This radio playing, "Freud..." tunes. The wind comes.

Sleeping at Rose Street	

1

Between a parking lot and a restaurant
Between a newspaper
Stand and the corner. A bucket of wa
Ter, vinegar, toothbrush. Shift the scene up one or
Things, bricks and almonds." Between a lot...

More levels: a group of people, one flight up
Writing software, another group sew
Ing jeans, one person rubbing a ciga
Rrete butt between his fingers, "This isn’t a head
Things, bricks and almonds." Between a lot...

Resting on a blanket on concrete." This isn’t
Sitting on a rolling bus bench. The 
Scene shifts up two more levels, from the roof 
Of the 'Ronald Reagan' State building looking o
Ver 'Little Tokyo' and in the 'Arts 
District' (supposed). Forget the bor
Rowed thoughts, "Forget Jameson," normal
Tongue tied twice, tie it to a bed post, a
Handcuffed mission, "Forget it, the treatment of
Things, bricks and almonds." Between a lot...