FOUR POEMS BY PETER ORLOVSKY

FRIST POEM A rainbow comes pouring into my window, I am electrified. Songs burst from my breast, all my crying stops, mistory fills the air. I look for my shues under my bed. A fat colored woman becomes my mother. I have no false teeth yet. Suddenly ten children sit on my lap. I grow a beard in one day. I drink a hole bottle of wine with my eyes shut. I draw on paper and I feel I am two again. I want everybody to talk to me. I empty the garbage on the tabol. I invite thousands of bottles into my room, June bugs I call them. I use the typewritter as my pillow. A spoon becomes a fork before my eyes. Bums give all their money to me. All I need is a mirror for the rest of my life. My frist five years I lived in chicken coups with not enough bacon. My mother showed her witch face in the night and told stories of blue beards. My dreams lifted me right out of my bed. I dreamt I jumped into the nozzle of a gun to fight it out with a bullet. I met Kafka and he jumped over a building to get away from me. My body turned into sugar, poured into tea I found the meaning of life All I needed was ink to be a black boy. I walk on the street looking for eyes that will caress my face. I sang in the elevators believing I was going to heaven. I got off at the 86th floor, walked down the corridor looking for fresh butts. My comes turns into a silver dollar on the bed. I look out the window and see nobody, I go down to the street, look up at my window and see nobody. So I talk to the fire hydrant, asking "Do you have bigger tears then I do?" Nobody around, I piss anywhere. My Gabriel horns, my Gabriel horns: unfold the cheerfulies, my gay jubilation. Nov. 24th, 1957, Paris

SECOND POEM Morning again, nothing has to be done, maybe buy a piano or make fudge. At least clean the room up for sure like my farther I've done flick the ashes & butts over the bed side on the floor. But frist of all wipe my glasses and drink the water to clean the smelly mouth. A nock on the door, a cat walks in, behind her the Zoo's baby elephant demanding fresh pancakes-I cant stand these hallucinations aney more. Time for another cigerette and then let the curtains rise, then I knowtice the dirt makes a road to the garbage pan No ice box so a dried up grapefruit. Is there any one saintly thing I can do to my room, paint it pink maybe or instal an elevator from the bed to the floor, maybe take a bath on the bed? Whats the use of liveing if I cant make paradise in my own room-land? For this drop of time upon my eyes like the endurance of a red star on a cigerate makes me feel life splits faster than sissors. I know if I could shave myself the bugs around my face would disappear forever. The holes in my shues are only temporary, I understand that. My rug is dirty but whose that isent? There comes a time in life when everybody must take a piss in the sink -here let me paint the window black for a minute. Thro a plate & brake it out of naughtiness-or maybe just innocently accidentally drop it wile walking around the tabol. Before the mirror I look like a sahara desert gost, or on the bed I resemble a crying mummey hollaring for air, or on the tabol I feel like Napoleon. But now for the main task of the day - wash my underwear - two months abused - what would the ants say about that? How can I wash my clothes - why I'd, I'd, I'd be a woman if I did that. No, I'd rather polish my sneakers than that and as for the floor its more creative to paint it then clean it up. As for the dishes I can do that for I am thinking of getting a job in a lunchenette. My life and my room are like two huge bugs following me around the globe. Thank god I have an innocent eye for nature. I was born to remember a song about love - on a hill a butterfly makes a cup that I drink from, walking over a bridge of flowers. Dec. 27th, 1957, Paris

My Bed is Covered Yellow My bed is covered yellow - Oh Sun, I sit on you Oh golden field I lay on you Oh money I dream of you More, More, cried the bed - talk to me more - Oh bed that taked the weight of the world - all the lost dreams laid on you Oh bed that grows no hair, that cannot be fucked or can be fucked Oh bed crumbs of all ages spiled on you Oh yellow bed march to the sun whear yr journey will be done Oh 50 lbs. of bed that takes 400 more lbs- how strong you are Oh bed, only for man & not for animals yellow bed when will the animals have equal rights? Oh 4 legged bed off the floor forever built Oh yellow bed all the news of the world lay on you at one time or another 1957, Paris

Snail Poem Make my grave shape of heart so like a flower be free aired & handsome felt, Grave root pillow, tung up from grave & wigle at blown up clowd. Ear turnes close to underlayer of green felt moss & sound of rain dribble thru this layer down to the roots that will tickle my ear. Hay grave, my toes need cutting so file away in sound curve or Garbage grave, way above my head, blood will soon trickle in my ear - no choise but the grave, so cat & sheep are daisey turned. Train will tug my grave, my breath hueing gentil vapor between weel & track. So kitten string & ball, jumpe over this mound so gently & cutely So my toe can curl & become a snail & go curiousely on its way. 1958 NYC