PUNKS

       after and for Martin Wong

HYPNOS ON THE HEADBOARD CHECK ONE THANATOS
AT MY FEET CHECK TWO TWINS KNOW I'M NOT
THROUGH YET GOT AN ALTAR TO FINISH FOR A
PATRON CITYSCAPES FOR EAST SIDE CONNOISSEURS
IN 256 COLORS CAN YOU PICK SOME HOLDING STILL
FOR A VEIN JUST STICK ONE CAME TO NEW YORK
FROM SF GAME ON THE SCION OF GENTRY WHO
OWNED PHOENIX'S FIRST CASINO NOT JUST SOME
CHINO WHO DON'T COME FROM NOWHERE ERTE
CHAGALL PICASSO REDON LEGER LAWRENCE UTRILLO
MODIGLIANI VLAMINCK RENOIR MIRO SHARP DAZE
THE PLACES THE FRENZY THE FACES THE MAZE OF THE
CITY THE PRETTY RICANS WHO EMBRACED ME THE
INNER SPACES I'M DRAWING THE FIREMEN KISSING
THE SKATEBOARDERS FLYING THE STREETWALKERS
HEROES AND COMIC BOOK SHEROES AND SMOKY
BROWN RUBBER FRAGRANCE ON HARD DICKS THE
FIERCE ANIMAL SMELL OF THAT MAN IN HELL'S KITCHEN
THE AROMA OF HORSESHIT SAGEBRUSH AND SWEAT
WAR AND THE RUMORS OF WAR SWEET OBLIVION THE
ROOFTOPS THE BRIDGES THE BEAT COPS THE TUNNELS
DEEP UNDER HUDSON & CLINTON STANTON & FORSYTH
THE BODY ODOR I TASTE IT BIG HEAT WE CARRY GHOST
TRACES OF ADOLESCENCE THE IMPATIENCE OF WAITING
WHO KNOWS WHAT WE'RE FLEEING AFRICAN TEMPLES
KIDS HANGING IN LADY LIBERTY HYPNOS CALLING OUT
DO YOU HEAR ME THANATOS CRYING OUT DO YOU
WANT IT THE FAST FAME THE BEAUTY THE SWEET LIPS
THE TAGS LIKE DOPE LYRICS THE BEATS LOISAIDA AFTER
NIGHTFALL NOT SLEEPING MADONNA AND PATSY ON
VINYL KIDS CREEPING TO CLUBS LIKE THEY'RE KEEPING
WORK HOURS THE WALLS BETWEEN 1ST & C WE'VE BEEN
HITTING AND DRAFTING EACH LINE & ANGLE I'M SEEING
MOVING LIKE BRUCE LEE AS IF HE WERE DREAMING
OF SUBWAYS THE BROTHERS THE BRICKS AND THE
DEALERS THE LOVERS THE SMOKESTACKS THE COLORS
THE FANTASIES I CAPTURE ANGELS AND FAIRIES IN
PLATFORMS IN ACTION THE DEMIGODS AND DEMONS
OF THE DEMIMONDE THE FERAL GIRLS AND MONSTERS
OUT TWIRLING AT TWILIGHT THE STATIC BEFORE AND
AFTER A NIGHTMARE BEAUTY WITHOUT DANGER IS
COUNTERFEIT IN MY YOUTH I PURSUED IT WANDERING
THE EARTH A RESTLESS SPIRIT WHO HAS EVER ESCAPED
ITS MELODY ALL THOSE YEARS IT POSSESSED ME LIKE
A SUBLIMINAL BASELINE FILLING THE HEART OF THE
EAST SIDE ON A WET SUMMER NIGHT THE RAPT EYES OF
MY HOODLOOMS WHO CAME WHEN I NEEDED TO THE
SMILE ON YOUR FACE PERPETRATING DISGRACE DON'T
ERASE ME OR HISTORY AS WE LIE HERE WHOEVER WINS
LOSES THE PATH THAT HE CHOOSES THE ARTWORLD
JUST USES WHOEVER IS CLOSEST PAINTINGS ARE
LOTTERY TICKETS OF THE RICH AND OVER PRIVILEGED
HYPNOS CALLING OUT CAN YOU FEEL ME THANATOS
SAYING CAN I TAKE YOU TO BERLIN ST LOUIS TOKYO
PARIS MEN A WEIGHTLESSNESS ON A PRECIPICE LIKE A
LONG-HOPED FOR FUCK WITH JOE SIMMONS MARTIN I
LOVE YOU I'M A VOLUPTUOUS DUDE IN THE END YOU
FIND YOURSELF BETRAYED THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH
A PAINTING IS CAPABLE OF AND YOU REMEMBER THE
FIRE THIS TIME THE STREET SCENES OF CHINATOWN
HOME AND HERE PAGODAS THE SEMAPHORE THE NIGHT
BEFORE THE OPENING THE DRUGS AND THE DREAMS
THE BODEGAS SOLD HOW PEDRO SAD-GAZED WASN'T
CUT OUT FOR THE BUSINESS GETTING BEAT LIKE A
SNARE DRUM IN NEWARK THOSE DAYS PASSED LIKE
SPECIAL ATTACKS PSIONICS LIKE THE PENTECOSTAL
CHURCH ON AVE B THAT BECAME THE ART BAR SAVE
THE ROBOTS THIS IS GOING TO BE THE LAST PICTURE
SHOW EVERYTHING MUST FLOW EVERY DREAM MUST
FLOWER HIGH AS THE WATER TOWERS TOPPING EVERY
BUILDING ON THE HORIZON EVERYONE WHO WAS NO
ONE IS GOING LIKE ICE LIKE SMOKE LIKE DEW LIKE THE
ONLY ONES WHO TRULY COULD REMINISCE WITH YOU
HYPNOS WHISPERING CAN YOU SEE ME THANATOS
CALLING OUT WE'LL BE TOGETHER SOON AS IF THE
MOMENT IN THESE PAINTINGS NEVER EXISTED AS IF THE
CULTURE HAS IRRETRIEVABLY SHIFTED AS IF BETWEEN
US WEREN'T LIKE SUNLIGHT THRU AN OPEN WINDOW
AS IF EUREKA WERE NOT A PLACE OF DISCOVERY AND
SHADOWS AND CHAINSAW VALENTINES DAYS AND WAYS
OF SAYING ADIOS TURNS OUT I'M THE SAME AS YOU
POSITIVE WITHOUT THE SYMPTOMS YOU CAN COME
VISIT ME HERE IN NEW YORK WE COULD EAT GOOD
AND DRINK LOTS OF CARROT JUICE THE JOYS AND
SORROWS OF BEING A PAINTER ARE ALMOST IDENTICAL
TO BEING A SERIAL KILLER THE SOLITARY QUEST THE
THRILL OF THE HUNT THE COMPULSION OF TRYING
TO COMPLETE AN IMAGINARY SET THE SUSPENSE THE
URGENCY AND FINALLY THE UNCONTROLLABLE SPASMS
AT THE ULTIMATE SECONDS OF BEING LIFE AND DEATH
WHEN THE VEIL AND TIME ARE SUDDENLY RIPPED
ASUNDER OYE MI NEGRITO A FAINT ECHO HOW ARE
YOU MY LITTLE ANGELITO EL QUE GANE PIERDE O
PIERDE LA VIERA DE PUERTO RICO YO FUI DE FRISCO
GREW UP TEETHING ON JADE GREENER THAN CREME
DE MENTHE STILL STUCK HERE IN THE HOSPITAL IN
ISOLATION BECAUSE THEY THINK I MIGHT HAVE TB I
NEEDED A VACATION ANYWAY MAYBE YOU CAN COME
VISIT ME THEY ARE ACTING LIKE I AM RADIOACTIVE
AS IF EVERYTHING I TOUCH BECOMES A TOXIC WASTE
DESPITE MY MAGIC RESISTANCE DESPITE MY VAST
EMPIRE OF VICE AND HUMAN DESIRE DESPITE MY
PERSONAL MEMORIAL AS IMPREGNABLE AS A COCK-
SHAPED CITADEL I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MY OWN
ORIENTATION AND ORIENTISM I AM THE PROGENY OF
ROYALTY AND CREATE BEAUTY I HAD A BODYGUARD AT
SEVEN I COULD MAMBO AND CHA CHA I WAS ADDICTED
TO GRASSHOPPER THE LIQUOR NOT THE BUG THE
GAIETY DAVID BOWIE ART DEALERS SMACK DEALERS
GRACE JONES TOUCHING DOWN AT 3 IN THE MORNING
LIKE THE WILLAMETTE METEORITE ULTIMATELY
PAINTING IS SIMILAR TO MURDER IN THAT WHEN THE
THRILL IS FINALLY GONE ALL YOU ARE LEFT WITH IS A
MESS AND A DISPOSAL PROBLEM HYPNOS SAYING WILL
YOU SHARE MY AMOR PER FAVOR THANATOS SAYING
CHINITO I AM INSIDE YOU REMEMBER ME I WALK WITH
YOU I TALK TO YOU TOGETHER FOREVER REMEMBER
IN DREAMS IN THE FIGHT THAT BEGINS AGAIN TONIGHT
RECUERDAS DO YOU I DO REMEMBER