{revision is fun!}

here's a revised version of the earlier post-Long Island debacle poem (thanks Lynne for the feedback!). for those not In The Know, "Willie" is Willie Perdomo and "Anne" is Anne Sexton. brilliant poets, both. if you've not read them, hop to it pronto!

when Willie says shit

a mouth caves the length
of the classroom, teachers diving
for their red pens, purses clasping
and unclasping like so many
fat hands and the kids
dip their heads as if to say you don't know
what you're in for, unaware
Anne said bitch to the last class
without alarm or caveat but Anne
also said red sloop in the harbor, said
littleneck clams out of season, said
watercolor

and Willie says coño, son, says dios
de bendiga, mano, says word
up, lets the monster crawl out
his mouth with its brown face on,
calls a bottle fight evidence
of love or at least
what it is, proof
life goes on

2.

(you must understand)
Anne hangs herself in the back
of the classroom, tongues a gun,
(we have order to uphold)
careens a razor along
each wrist, (that street language
has no place here) muttering what
does it take to be dangerous
these days

teachers crowd the corpse, organize
a field trip from the front row
to watch

Anne says bitch bitch bitch
as they tie an orange ribbon around each
dripping wrist

in the hallway a boy is suspended
for saying fuck to a non-functioning
water fountain

Willie says shit, son, if we said
fuck you in Spanish
nobody'd know to protest
a god / damn / thing.