POEM PING-PONG

Since I started out yesterday talking about exchanges with other poets,
thought I'd follow up with a sample of my verbal ping-pong game
with Donna Rudolph. As mentioned, with this exchange the only rule
is to respond to the theme set by one's colleague poet at the
end of her/his contribution.

Here's a single exchange as an example ("-d" obviously is Donna, "-b" me):

(FIRE)

In the hand
in the bush
there's fire.

Let's tell it like it is
(or might be)
truth like water
Kali's tongue
pouring sorrows down the mountain
cleansing drenching
touching tearing
Routing out the quivering child
Delivering him,
basket-borne
down into the swaying green-eyed sea.

-d

(ASSERTION)

These words, half-lies we spend our strength on,
white acres of mist declared to be mountains,
cunning assertions of tuneful thought
like "decorous slow quadrilles of the stars"

must have a purpose, refusing to cease
despite our knowing that we must cease.
"The miniature thunder of amplified ants!"
"The hummingbird's wing-seethe!" Is there a use

in saying that blood is unsayably-purple

within us? that breath thrums the drums of the lungs?

Tell us this earth is God's terminal cancer,

We'll pour us some words out, like these, about that.

-b

next theme (KALI)