Waltz, Matilda! (A rabbit made communion with a calf in the snow in winter in Constantinople, Texas, where I found it, but it ran away, which you couldn’t tell by looking at the ground)

When I was a transistor salesman, I took it upon myself to form conjectures based on solid evidence Three years were squandered and vandalized, and I lost my lucky hat The girls hit me on the head and played me for a fool Continuous action and circumstance On forsaken Dog Hell Island, there was a man by the name of “Woodface” who flew a U.F.O. without permission from the king The girls punched me in the face and kicked me in the nose Continuous action The girls threw me off a bridge and locked me in a vault Solid-state relay circuits

Tell the reporters: “Cover the ocean” Earth now hurts to stand on I did it alone in a bar in the dark on a Friday or a Saturday Tennis for two Shame on you No one has the time now I had it alone on the bus in the snow on a Monday Tennis Tennis Tennis Tennis Tennis Tennis Tennis for two Shame on you Earth now hurts to stand on Tennis for two Shame on you Earth now hurts to stand on

Birds for: landing; to make things happen; to come, come closer before my eyes Lately, things are cold and undefined Exaggerated Forest Night crawls Anise For warmth, in panic, I switched my signal from green to blue “COMM LINE DOWN” No voltage comin’ through Exaggerated Forest

Water hurts my skin Don’t listen to “Mudgirl”—she’s a statue Has this ever happened to you? All doors close at sundown I asked you a question to hear an answer Has this ever happened to you? Pennant Fever, tell me why Is it strength or just a lie? Holes in half my shirts My shoes are gashed I vomit often Trashin’ old photographs Has this ever happened to you?

(untranslatable ritual chants)

Maybe I would be so lucky Maybe I would deserve a second shot at what I’m mourning Recently, I’ve missed Someone saw me on the corner bearing gifts of gold My garden grows without the sun Never in the universe Never in the universe “Cavedog” sent me on a treasure hunt across the shoreline Madison was longer than it looked Rained in under the rusted rooftops I walked to town for birdseed and fell into a spring Never in the universe Never in the universe

Four skins chatter in the birdhouse Twelve identical ostriches Painted, millin’ ‘bout the ocean floor Twelve identical ostriches I’ve got files decked out with hearsay and a case of the classical blues No more milk No more bread Water and nothing else for the rest of my days For the rest of my days Talcum powder on the ceiling No one bothered to telethon

I’m having a bad, bad night I’m putting it all on green to make it easy for myself ‘cause no one wants to see me I’m playing the game again I’m wandering ‘round Sham City ‘cause no one comes around or answers the phone anymore And eating is a chore Eating is a chore Eating is a chore Eating is a chore And sleeping on satellites And boxing no one in particular And playing tennis in my dreams And clipping old magazines And eating is a chore Eating is a chore Eating is a chore Eating is a chore Eating is a chore Eating is a chore Eating is a chore Eating is a chore Eating is a chore Eating is a chore Eating is a chore Eating is a chore Eating is a chore Eating is a chore Eating is a chore Eating is a bore

Since my ship split in two, something strange happened upon me The kind of pictures nobody sees The kind of poem nobody translates Sadie called me and spoke in German for two whole minutes and never called me again For future reference: I’m petrified Everyone’s doing it, and I don’t know why The kind of ocean without any fish The kind of school without any students Sadie called me and spoke in German for fifteen minutes and never called me again Sadie called me and spoke in German for two whole hours and never called me again

Battleship grey I saw your friend yesterday I wanted to call you to let you know You told her my story; I heard you It’s harder to see without any sun Breathing Keeping court was simple No world

I’m wearing your shoes Just pretend to be happy to see me Oh, one; two; three; four; five; six; seven; eight You broke my eyes in half You broke my 4-track You broke my 4-track Tell me I’m fine on a Monday morning in a diner on the street where I lost count

While you’re waiting, send me a letter When you’re writing, time flies twice as fast Stamp o’er Widow She gets letters I always run outside but I got none Different species of trees and their defining characteristics Different species of trees and their defining characteristics

Who wants to wait for the bus? Who wants to wait for the end of the world? Not me I’m underground city Get me a bird, and I’m good OK Vampire camera ‘til I die Sink in ocean ‘til I rust Will I find you in the air? Will I find you in the air? I don’t care I’m Mailman #700 Get back Go away You’ll think it’s cool Vampire camera ‘til I die Sink in ocean ‘til I rust Vampire camera ‘til I die And you will see me ‘til I die Vampire camera ‘til I die And you will see me ‘til I die You will see me

This city’s a joke ‘cause nobody told me that I’d be gone before I die Someone cut the cord I’m really not interested And when I’m dead in a mysterious boating accident, check for carbolic acid in my stomach The City of Cleveland killed me It’s right there under my fingernails

Go, Tonic Rangers! Spokane popped up in a story Sick constellation Help, Stell All the women dancing Spokane, tell another story Spokane, build a hotter relay Spokane, meet me in the throne room Spokane, Spokane Walked in a circle of raw spite; everyone saw through it Saint Information shopped rite; no one saw it coming Where did the mountain fall out? Integrated circus Help me, Reindeer I can’t focus Spokane, find another reason Spokane, rent a second ballroom Spokane: never in the ocean Spokane, Spokane Spokane, take me to the station Spokane: perfect and interested Spokane, sleep inside a theater Spokane, Spokane

Who writes your phone calls? I’d like to meet this person who’s running my clocks and changing my gears I’m really interested

(untranslatable ritual chants)