The Burnt Man and Me Study in Blindness

Dirty askew         Cap in the shade
I used to be him        Under a Bridge
Sun-burnt shining       Block of red-gold
American Icon             Tractor spinning by
Pulling a Mower Rake and Bailer     Hay one month a year
Hey! I say                       I used to be him
Blister bubble back      Pop Tart breakfast
Motor home overnight         I used to be him

Cock-a-doodle-doo         In the city
You called me from the day      To the entrance to the night
Your sweet sweet voice       Lured me away
Astray from I used to be him      Goddamn charred-up
He's a God in his own right           Burnt-down rascal

Refrigerator heart beam      Out of the soul
Me and Him both                 Drink ice cold beer
Me under soft skin                Sitting sound-proofed
Him up at dawn                     Scraping his palms
Hi-day hay! Hi-day ho!           I'm stuck on a bridge
He's under the sun                  I drive through the night
He's all day long                       Stepping on dirt

"How come you know him    Little city-slicker?"
I saw him yesterday     Red-plated gold
Feeding on the eddy     Cap askew head
He's got a spinning rod     I wished I'd had one
He was my uncle      My grand-dad and aunt
My Tupperware supper     Great-grandmother too
My jadeite dream       I saw him at a fish fry
Two hours away        It was too damn hot

Hand worn face-wrinkle     He's older than me
I used to be him      Before I had to dream
You called me through the night     To the entrance to the city
We went for a soft drink     He showers with his beer
He showers then to bed      I drive through the night fog
I lost you in the light-tent      I searched the broken streets
I lost you in the night-tent     I used to be him

He's blinded by the sun       I wish I were burnt
He's blinded but perfect       I've lost track of you
Ancient! Ancient! Red          never slathered
Trout in the water                 Man in the field
I've blinded you                     And you've blinded me
We're blind hallelujahs           I used to be him
And the baseball cap and the cooler     I used to be
And the sun burn on the outside          We're all staring baby
No one's blinded right             No one yet at least
No one's blinded right              At the entrance to night





                                        Nate Mohatt







...