The Poetry Of...
Al Ferber.................................................
Resume'
I conducted my coarse
study of humanity:
sitting on bar stools
for thirty years
ordering triple shots
of Irish whiskey
with short draft beer
chasers, serving
drinks at bars,
serving my fellow man
providing jobs in government
service for the unemployed
and underemployed
in a time of high unemployment,
serving Vietnam vets
trying to work their way
through the System
to get government assistance,
public assistance,
employment assistance,
veterans administration
assistance,
any kind of assistance:
seeing the soft dark underbelly
of humanity
on the murder-suicide
intervention
with the vet with the gun
and his son with the gun
aimed at himself
and his son
at the same time,
who claimed he would turn
the gun over to us
but not the police
and like fools three of us
drove into the night
to his house
hoping he didn’t decide
to turn the gun on us
upon the utterance
of a single wrong word
or sudden gesture
but fortunately I drove home
sweating bullets
with the gun
in the trunk of my car.
Hemophilia
That primal element creeped
through the marrow -through
the darkened subway
tunnels of bones inching
its way, toward the estuaries
and rivers of blood that course
through all of the body’s geography.
The sniper in the church tower
methodically picked off penitents
as they emerged to the steps
after making their last confession.
When captured he claimed he wanted
to usher their souls into heaven
before they had a chance to sin again.
The roaches and rats ruled
the wine cellar of the monastery
helping monks maintain total
abstinence for centuries while
princes killed kings to maintain
an orderly progression of succession.
Catholics declared a Holy War
against Lutharians slaughtering
countless thousands of citizens
who weren’t sure what they
believed and marrow seeped
into the blood stream and
gave princes, bishops, and kings
the royal bleeding disease.
No Need
I hope it never stops
coming back to me
every so often:
this dream where I
am with you -
need no reassurance
of your love -
and we are safe
and happy
and calm
and have no cause
for fear
of anything.
