Last Poem
This week in the PEN Poetry Series, PEN America features two poems by Jeff T. Johnson. Listen to recordings of “Last Poem” and “Last Poem #7” on our Soundcloud page.
Last Poem
There is no address or the audience is multiple
So that I am always writing to you and do not think your name
You say what do you want and you are looking at me so I know you mean me
You say I never thought this list of language was poetry then try to give me credit
You say I am a good writer but you do not read my poems
The freshest poems have no sell-by dates
I am not sure the typing of poems or the reading of typed poems does anything
And why should it do anything when people are killed for running from danger
When poems should either help people get away or keep people from shooting
Or poems should dissolve the whole system and stop holding up the language
I have been writing for so long even after recognizing what is needed
Is that we make less stuff poems included particularly my poems and yours
Don’t imagine anyone but you is reading this poem I mean what are the chances
Yesterday a poem settled upon my shoulder only it was much heavier
Than it first appeared it was a whole regime of poetic ideas ugh it was crushing
The ground rose up to meet the sky it was one of those thick skies full of
Bad rain or worse snow or some slick cold alliance of rain and snow
Some yes wintry mix set upon your skull determined to fuck your life
This is what poetry should be some vast inconclusive portent
A refusal to resolve a dynamic tension with the string pulled out
A collapse of fur and sentiment a pile of consonants on the meridian
A promise to shut the fuck up poetry should be an ear poetry should listen to itself
In disgust poetry should stop telling itself what to do poetry should grow a second mouth
That doesn’t work poetry should be the way out poetry what have you done for us
Poetry the time is now and you have already said too much poetry I refuse your advances
Poetry I will go anywhere you say as long as it is not described in verse
Poetry I would rather listen to music poetry you have ceased to be music
There is no address but we know where we live
So that we are always writing ourselves letters we will never read
Last Poem #7
Because every poem is a suicide note
Because every poem kills itself
Because we kill ourselves in poems
Because death is inevitable and poetry is merely impossible
Because you are not you and I am not I
Because poems are for sale in stores
Because we cannot write without reading
Because we would rather write than read
Because we would rather read than write
Because we are not ourselves because we is no different than you or I
Because we is poison in the mouth because you and I are choking on our tongues
Because our legacy is death
Because we write on paper or we write on slave-built machines that output to paper
Because the weather is definitely getting worse
Because we cannot outlive the earth
Because we are embarrassed by this fact
Because our songs do not die with us but they will die with the planet
Because we are appalled by the word planet
Because we are each other but we are alone
Because we are reading our own poems and reproducing our own language
Because this sounds like getting off but we cannot get off
Because language does not fit in our mouths
Because breath was given to us and we took it
Because poetry is breath and thought and breath and thought are in short supply
Because I love you no less because we are both dead
Because you and you and you are I and I and I
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