Tool A Magazine/Dave Brinks

Dave Brinks

From

THE  CAVEAT  ONUS: Book Two

the caveat onus ::: ninety-seven

sit  beside  me  on  the  road
where  the  key  fits
on  the  steps  of  a  lighted  porch
before  the  hurricane  entered  the  gulf
and  refuse  to  move
to  know  what  and  why  I  am
it's  like  listening  to  the  ocean
on  houses  with  outstretched  arms
dawn  peels  back  like  a  metal  enclosure
until  it  starts  to  burn
today's  hallucination
takes  the  form  of  a  shovel
a  face  toward  which  I  turn  and  walk


8.v.06

the caveat onus ::: ninety-eight

the  caveat  on  us
is  a  great  tear  in  the  dreamwork
forced  upon  the  mind
like  a  terrible  sound
that  only  compares  with  silence
where  everything  belongs  to  water
and  whose  sadnesses  have  no  equal  or  worse
O  Memory  let  these  creatures  stir
snap  the  teeth  of  your  dragon's  snout
send  forgetfulness  to  repair  their  suffering
the  song  of  the  hawk
knows  no  boundaries
between  heaven  and  earth

8.v.06



the caveat onus ::: ninety-nine
                                                                    for Paul Chasse

like  the  ghost  of  confused  present
crawling  around  in  the  back  of  my  head
I  have  a  penitent  anger
my  leash  has  dogs  on  it
the  sidewalks  are  getting  warmer
there  is  no  sovereign  music
what  mind  would  you  choose
I  remember  thinking  I  could
hoard  more  acorns  than  a  squirrel
Mina  dreamed  all  the  trees  were  broken
this  is  the  rotting  gardens  of  Avalon
the  sun  falls  into  the  river
New  Orleans  was  never  here


9.v.06




the caveat onus ::: one hundred
                                                                     for Bill Lewin

it  takes  a  full  half  hour
for  magnolia  blossoms  to  open
on  a  summer  morning
if  I  were  in  the  Himalayas
I'd  leave  strange  tracks  in  the  snow
but  this  is  the  azure  world
an  evacuation  sign
with  its  arrow  pointing  up
we  find  my  street  and  paddle  down
it's  almost  bedtime
I  unlearn  the  alphabet
we're  putting  the  house  back  together
with  an  amazing  set  of  fingers  &  toes


9.v.06

the caveat onus ::: one hundred and one

the  emergence  of  earth  from  a  flower
wakens  the  anatomy
in  a  distant  cousin  sort  of  way
I'm  tying  my  shoes
to  the  mystery
whose  hands  give  shape  to  the  invisible
dear  body  dear  heart
it's  all  about  relationships
walking  is  pure
at  the  cosmic  bazaar  I  exchange  trinkets
decisions  like  raspberries  or  more  lawn  chairs
the  entrance  to  heaven
makes  me  full  cowboy


9.v.06




the caveat onus ::: one hundred and two

my  hands  play  castles  in  the  sand
at  the  17th  Street  Canal
it's  a  pain  full  of  discovery
more  water  pours  through
whose  head  is  bent
in  genuflection  to  the  stars
this  question  rarely  depends
on  the  definition  of  love
the  faucet  drips  to  a  destination
whispering  far  away
and  as  for  the  acumen  of  seashells
the  entire  animal  kingdom
their  stories  come  full-blown


9.v.06




the caveat onus ::: one hundred and three
                                                                              for Elizabeth Garcia

sometime  after  midnite  and  by  4am
there's  a  peregrination  of  voices
it  never  stops
everything's  moving  sideways
the  shower  curtain  the  boat  propeller
the  screen  door
today  it's  the  same  sun
I  can  see  morning
coming  off  your  neck
the  trees  have  leaves
the  orange  &  purple  ones  are  the  easiest  to  grow
and  like  every  good  magician
I'm  just  happy  to  get  out  of  bed


9.v.06




the caveat onus ::: one hundred and four

starting  with  a  map
I  give  you  a  picture  of  feathers
whose  birds  have  not  returned
but  to  end  that  way
like  a  terrible  sound
today  the  paper  writes  the  tree
whose  sadnesses  answer  to  no  name
mine  spells  "bard  knives"
I  go  on  being  alive
playing  leapfrog  from  one  lie  to  the  next
the  leaves  of  a  small  oak
are  a  gesture  of  infinitude
on  our  street  its  a  permanent  address


9.v.06