delores

Poetry by Patti Smith


Prayer
stocking feet or barefoot
immensely broud or bent like love
twig scaffold
grave digger or dancer in wind
the same wind yet stinking of pigs
rose or pollen which makes one cough
cruel fantastic unlike anything else

to have no need for the apparatus
of the operation room
to be safe from all bodily harm
to know love without exception
to be a saint in any form



Oath
jesus died for somebody's sins
but not mine
melting in a pot of thieves
wild card up my sleeve
thick heart of stone
my sins my own
i engrave my own palm
sweet black x
adam placed no hex on me
i embrace eve
and take full responsibility
for every pocket i have picked
mean and slick
every johnny ace song
i've balled to
long before the church
made it neat and right
so christ
i'm giving you the good-bye
firing you tonight
i can make my own light shine
and darkness too is equally fine
you got strung up for my brother
but with me i draw the line
you died for somebody's sins
but not mine


Anna Of The Harbor
anna of the harbor
ann full of grace
wrestles with desire
for the dwelling place
of male against male
where thieves gesticulate
and wink handsome
for the sailor lads
with duffle bags
stuffed with lace
anna embroiders hopes
for marvelous tattoo rump
and sinks in perfumed
dressing gown
as blue-eyed beauties dance
but the men dont come
for anna of the harbor

anna full of grace
gazing from her favorite place
by the window
but the sea
by the thieves diaryed streets
where men wound and love
and make frank gestures
behind beaded curtains
as beads of sweat
drip and drip down
like a rosary
from unshaven pits
sliding velvet arms
holy ammonia waters
rising like old loves
rushing satin skirts
and anna of the harbor
with an automatic
femiinine gesture
powders her dress
swift and expert
where her pantaloons
part like a woman


Seventh Heaven
oh raphael. guardian angel. in love and crimes
all things move in sevens. seven compartments
in the heart. the seven elaborate temptations.
seven devils cast from mary magdalene whore
of christ. the seven marvelous voyages of sinbad.
sin/bad. and the number seven braned forever
on the forehead of cain. the first inspired man.
the father of desire and murder. but his was not
the first ecstasy. consider his mother.

eve's was the crime of curiosity. as the saying
goes: it killed the pussy. one bad apple spoiled
the whole shot. but be sure it was no apple.
an apple looks like an ass. its fag's fruit.
it must have been a tomato.
or better yet. a mango.
she bit. can we blame her. abuse her.
poor sweet bitch. perhaps there's more to the story.
think of satan as some stud.
maybe her knees were open.
satan snakes between them.
they open wider.
snakes up her thigh.
rubs against her for a while
more than the tree of knowledge was about
to be eaten... she shudders her first shudder
pleasure pleasure garden
was she sorry
are we ever girls
was she a good lay
god only knows


Jeanne d'Arc
i feel like
i feel like shit
i need a
i need a drink
and not vinegar neither
i dont want to die
i feel like a freak
dont let me cut out
i wast cut out
to go out virgin
i want my cherry
squashed man
hammer amour
love me
live me
hour to death
what the hell
hour to death
am i doing here
am i ending here
hour to death
and i feel so free
feel like fucking
feel so free
feel like running
got no hair
weighing me
cut so close
scalp is nicked
look like shit
hour of darkness
and i look like shit
hour to death and i feel so free
hour to death and i feel so free
turnkey turnkey
play with my pussy
lick my little
scull bait head
get it get
get it in
get the guard to
beg the guard to
need a guard to
lay me
get all the guards to lay me
if all the guards would lay me
if one guard would lay me
if one guard would lay me
if one god would lay me
if one
god


A Fire Of Unknown Origin
you're displeased
maybe i should just stop
being you

a fire of unknown origin
took my baby away
a fire of unknown orgin
took my baby away
swept her up and off
my wave length
swallowed her up like the ocean
in fire thick and gray

death comes sweeping
thru the hallway
like a ladies dress
death comes riding
down the highway
in its sunday best

death comes driving
death comes creeping
death comes
i can do nothing
death goes
there must be something
that remains
death it made me sick and craz
cause that fire
took my baby
away

she left me everything
she left me all her things



Death By Water
how long ago was man promised?
never gain. no not again.
no death by water.

yet how many questions aries like yeat.
like the perfect dead:
was the red sea really?
does man rule the river?
did she/he drown?
was it natural causes?
was it sorrow?

how many tears on you pillow.
crocodile or real. water shed.
brian jones drowned. face down
in child's pool of water. youth fountain.

jim morrison: our leather lamb. he feared
the bathroom. he warned us. hyacinth house.
how did he know. how did christ . no
doubt about it. a marked man is always the
first to know. he died in the bathtub. slumped
over like marat. the only clue was the red
rash over his heart.
someone said there were last words. water
poured from his eyes. he was truly immaculate
yet surprised. outside it was raining. storm
clouds. danger waters. the tub was overflowing.
he looked up. then he cried out:
"but you promised"