“New Gas City”, “Odd Jobs or The Eclectromagentic Spooktraum” and “Of the Essence”
By John Marvin
New Gas City
That there is no time
like the present
has been noticed.
Gas is in Dutch out of the blue
formally in chaos from gaping crevasse
a fluid filling full every jar
agitated as only Einstein can say.
I is here to make this lyric view.
I can use muse amuse bemuse
musically
music ally
music alley
music hall lie.
I sing of the fall of the first solid state
I sing of Parmenides befiddled by Democritus
I sing while the brass nonet stares true
but fixed toward Thurban or Polaris
while witty guidance issues from the committee of nine
entertaining a muddle
preoccupied with random ricochet evasions
a no questions answered approach
so Achilles can catch the damnéd rabbit.
Democritus with a random clue
from simple ruled cellular automata
which out guesses the best gassers
and just the most subtle swerve
befuddling the whole shebang
point by myriad of points so as to construe
a flat morass as scintillating strings
throbbing the glass branes in tune
beyond the current reach of psychglotron machines
beyond the state of polytics or mind
beyond the bolts of cruel gods or kind
beyond all but the punch line:
When in doubt
do.
Odd Jobs or The Eclectromagentic Spooktraum
I indicate out to myself and I swear my gots how
that I’m not meself at all, no joly fear, when I realize bimiselves
how becomingly I to be going to become.
Yawn: Finnegans Wake III.3
verse telling a just mint
vapor mouth watering tales
altaring disguises aloft the spirit of feint
dodge the other cheek
far stellar Callisto lost to Artemis
seven oxen plowing the sky
a giant dipper Charles’ wain
seven holy sages glistening
four the pan for quenching
twoutoward the axis gluide
four in the handle near Aleor
Mizar double doppelganger
I demand to speak to
the maker of the bear because
it’s obvious that hesheit
fucked up the universe
“You talkin’ ta me
can you lead constellations
out on time and guide
the bear and her cubs?”
amber waves of force
spectrum sparkles of promise
twitch of frog legs
secret ray of life
through raindrops in the sky
through mist of waterfalls
through prism lenses
a promise has been read and understood
well enough to make
promises
and cry through black turmoil
toward others
Of the Essence
I must share this with you. Of course, I know
you will tell no one. This revelation
must be secret ‘til I’m sure I possess
control of the power. Yet I need to
speak of it with another being. My
first suspicions stirred when I was a child.
I noticed the phenomena on those
rare occasions when people were near me.
Now I am beginning to understand
the process, a transfer of energy.
When I kiss your wife; yes, I have done so
on several occasions, do not look
so surprised; when I kiss her I can feel
the energy flow. I dare not hold too
long lest she lose consciousness. Her life flame
drains from her soul. It flows from others to
me any time they are close. I’m surprised
you can’t feel your own force ebbing. I have
discovered that my survival depends
on this transfer of vital energy.
Recently I have learned to see its glow.
It is lovely, appearing as a feint,
very faint blue-green light, like an aura,
but with a certain positive motion,
current, always on a path from others
toward myself, my essential self. When I
can catch a person’s eye for a moment
it refreshes me for nearly an hour.
Those brief kisses were enough for a full
evening. This will be the first attempt at
a complete transfer. You should feel honored.
This knowledge will make me so powerful⎯
I do not know the full potential yet.
But don’t worry, I will be sure your name
lives on as the one who gave up so much
to help me unveil this light for the world.
John Marvin taught high school social studies for 33 years, retired, went to SUNY Buffalo, earned a PhD in literature and became a poet & scholar. He lurks in the dark forest between art and science with his dog, Hugo.
