Outstretched Arms
pumice the bone smooth
berry juice illusion of blood
to cover loss
belly of the moon
we penetrate
what Venus
do we carve?
herbs and drugs do not restore
territories of resurrection
Earth poised in soma
television chronicles
missile finger fascination
sea-scorpions
and horseshoe crabs
will survive us
To Pharoah
cork
chips
thirst
to unplug the bottle
inhale its vapors
wooden
gears behind eyes
turn slowly
like the crocodile
to feel dreams
float
underwater
rockskirted sirens
weave dark shadows
hands rise and fall
courage to continue
all those I am
that I was
ask
to be delivered
firstborn
all that we kill to know
far up red mountain
sheep are blue
the air burns
the throat of a horse
The Ocean
bones
day
you don’t knowwhat love is
No Depression
after the funeral
of Chocolate George
The Hells Angels
gave a party
with music by The Dead
and Big Brother
beer and dope
courtesy of the Angels
Light Show
lightmakers
dyes in flasks, wheels and cut cardboard
project Alpine Buddhahood King Kong delight
plastic amoebae brown birds Irish dancing statues mosaic
discs juggled in alchemical pools
dervish arms flutelung cries drums
honeycomb lasso moths carpets ladders
inkpot larvae breasthills on the bridge
sorcerers keep the cave
flicker phantom eternity
red meadow clam lip scarves
churchyard vanilla green thighs
high frequency jabs of sound
cross the screen of personal identity
frogtree saxophone blurred core of etherbones
vacuum tapestries
Robert Hogg says
Such a gifted poet who was one of my colleagues in Buffalo in the mid Sixties. We fell out of touch for decades when I rediscovered him for myself and began a short correspondence before he succumbed to cancer in Key West. You can listen to John Coltrane’s recording of the ballad, “You don’t know what love is” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrwSuy6ZBjI
I left the following comment on the You Tube site:
Led back to this beautiful ballad by a poem by the late David Gitin who was born the year this song was written and wd have been familiar with this recording. His short poem is called The Ocean and can be found on the website https://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/poems/david-gitin
David Gitin says
On bio note: currently lives in Key Largo, Florida
(no longer Monterey, CA)
D. Enck says
Ah! Thanks for the note. I’ve just updated your bio!