Logic of the Saxophone

latticework climbing up the blinds
their shadow, behind tooth gapped panes
late summer sun

cemetery saxifrage; shamans shuffle up
up the brickwork, step by step
wailing like dead sirens as they go

Marshall Allen must be a hundred now
if he's a day, but I heard him blowing
last night at the Rotunda

sweet alto, then in repose
fluting in orbit contact Jupiter
no ideas but in sounds

sweet alto, then in response
satellites over the Mongol steppes
the rhythm, the rhythm

horsemen drum on the silk road
their shadow thunder on the brick
late summer, crisp leaves on the Belgian block

Listening to Philip Glass Live

not my favorite instrument,
the piano - I prefer organ
or harpsichord for keyboard

but Philip Glass condensed
his whole careeer into
one piano that night

ninety minutes without a break

enthralled I heard bits of
Einstein on the Beach,
glittering fragments of Mishima

over and over and over

it was his birthday; that piano
was white, suspended from
a tree, a piano with full refulgent breasts

Incandescent Rat

Incandescent Rat
is on the radio now
shhh
Dude, tune er in
got the frequency
check it out
no
tune er wayyyy in
and turn the volume wayyy down

Incandescent Rat
always my favorite
back in the day
check it out

that bassman plays with your mind
know what I'm saying
wraps around your frontal lobe
and squeeeeezes

Dude, you lost it
tune er in
tune er in
you got it
but turn it wayyy down
never know who's listening

might be the Secret ICE Police
might be the Baby Russia
might be the Steel Principals

nevermind, tune er in
don't lose it
oh that beat
Bo Diddley

yeah

once saw Incandescent Rat
down at the Fillmore East
back in the day, man

Trillian Luminescence was with them then
she wailed
she wailed
only twenty-seven, but she howl

went backstage to give her a flower
patchouli
sweet, but unreal
she was all lit up, man
yeah
I remember