Larry Jaffe

GLOBAL DEFENESTRATION*

There is a window that circles the globe

it is perpetually open

and awaiting the departure of souls

 

This window enables others

to rid themselves of guilt

and quiet desperation

 

It is a long way down

there is no rope ladder

and air is not water

 

one cannot swim in it

or sail one’s way down

one splatters not floats

 

Chuck away your cares you say

toss friends and enemies out of the way

remain corporal or stay

 

Defenestration an imperfect solution

to mental monogamy and myopia

blind oblivion of matter, energy, space and time

 

* Defenestration is the act of throwing a person or thing out of a window. assassination by defenestration. from modern Latin defenestratio(n- ), from de- ‘down from’ + Latin fenestra window

EMPTY WINDOWS IN BAGHDAD

 

I try to get to the window

to yell leave us alone…

 

Unshouted screams torment my throat

my head pounds, leave us alone…

 

— the voice drowns inside me

 

The first sound I hear—

an almost gentle wind gasps at impact

explosion silent, I cannot hear

explosion invisible, I cannot see

 

My children have stopped crying…

leave us alone…

SHADOW OF THE WINDOW

 

I stood in the shadow of the window

it did not reflect my image but that

of another token son

 

my mind bruised and battered

I wanted love on a clam shell

I wanted someone to share my destiny

 

I looked out the window

into the corporal sunshine

it was not quite noon

a blonde stood in the street

hair flowing almost to ankles

it almost seemed

sunlight glinted over

blueberry eyes

 

where’s Lenny she

wisecracked to me

from below somehow

seeing frosted countenance

cataloging her desire

ain’t no Lenny here I whispered

in morning drunkenness

 

oh yeah, she said

I shrugged

c’mon up and see for yourself

if I am wrong, you owe me

a kiss or two or maybe more

I said all this silently

under held breath

 

something about a blond

on whiskey summer morning

something about this blond

painted into my coconut mind

something like sargasso sea

pulled at Columbus heart

 

trooping up stairs one at a time

my pilots heart wanting to fly away

request liftoff instructions

clearance so I could get out of the way

I had no mirrors

the universe reflected her beauty

I had no paintings

the universe drew her perfectly

and etched her in my mind

she came to the room

without walls

we both did