they cut back sew much on th backs uv th poor

bill bissett
From:   b leev abul char ak trs. Burnaby, B.C.: Talonbooks, 2000.

whats missing from my poetree   is th stink n slime
  n th toxik pools surrounding us mooving closr in
 2 our sereen psychik oases

whats missing from my poetree  ar th smells uv our
 habits  2 endors hierarkeez uv hurt  n denial  ego
victoreez  resentments  rot n stench uv  ekonomik
  boundareez  konstrukts we create  allow  punish

wher onlee munee mattrs  th top  middul n bottoms
 uv th work munee stupid klass  destroying evree
thing whn nowun is bettr n evreewun can have worth
 if onlee we cud evolv 2 beleev n see that  can we

 its a ring toss echo uv our fleeting wishes we take
evreething with us we can  how much is that

whats missing from my poetree  statements totalee
  in support uv free edukaysyun  guaranteed min
imum inkums 4 evreewun  lessnings uv th fetish uv
work n strengthening uv all yuunyuns  linda mcquaig
 sz on evan solomans xcellent teevee show  hot type

 th tobin tax  small tax on investment gains evreetime
munee moovs out uv th countree agen that small tax
cud go a long way tord paying evreething off  insted
uv cut backs 2 pay debts on th back uv th poor  wch
is what is now happning as we hed mor tord a two tier
system uv evreething  onlee munee rewardid with
 xcellent services  povertee not changd  deepend

 

whats missing from my writing is total prais uv th
 life uv th mind  what it can reseev  envisyun  create

imagine

 

as we dew need a few feet sankrosankt around us
  almost alwayze  not th infinit rooms  say yr a rich
prson n a fairlee gud prson as aneewun can b ovr
  time yuv got ther n yu have 2 much space yu dont
 undrstand whats happend  yu feel self pitee  angr
at othrs  dont love yrself  yu have sterling silvr
  evreething  n lonliness  is ths th reward 4 all th
 working time

whats missing from my writing is  total soshulism
  dusint work eithr  still hierarkeez  evn less priva
seez  simplr thot control  wch makes it perhaps
 evn mor annoying  n still 2 much working  wch
creates damaging habits n still dislike uv pleysyur

we ar in veree rudimentaree levls uv being  we may
  not evolv in time  b4 th sun blows up aneeway
     is it anee reassurans that wun workd reelee
  hard  2 oftn tirudness  th best uv capitalism  we
dew want 2 trade  xchange  have things uv our
 veree own  best uv soshulism  all peopul deserv
proteksyuns n guaranteez  health  edukaysyun

 services  regardless  evreewun has alredee worth
n th lives uv th mind n soul  independentlee uv
  munee propaganda ikons  th originalitee 2 b
imagine such storeez as can uplift yu  entertain
 enlitn n deepen yu

 whats sumtimez missing from my writing is th hope
n braveree n optimism  that we can dew it  make
   all thees acheevments  b a store  b a produser
 presentr  server  n royal in yr own life without
hurting  we can dew it

 
whats missing from my poetree is a recent
    conversaysyun at th bus stop in north sydney
 cape breton wun prson he sd th sun is going
        2 blow up in th yeer 2001  th othr prson he
    sd he thot it wud b 2010  well i sd dont we have
a lot  uv oil  wind powr  gas  etsetera  4a whil  well
    they sd  th tempratur will drop sew far down  thos
   mesyurs will not b at all effektiv in keeping warm  n
weul all freez 2 deth  ohh i sd  i dont think thats an
  xcellent way 2 die tho i gess no way 2 die is reelee
 that xcellent  no they sd  as we get back on th bus
 2 drive on furthr 2 sydney  they both had sd all ths
had bin prophesizd  th dramatik winds n ghostlee see
  storeez in th turbulent nite bcumming a bit cold in
     th air all around us  wer thrilling n home 2 me

whats missing from my writing   is yu   our fucking
  our mind reassurances   unknown parts uv my
    bodee bcumming alive

whats missing from my writing  ar all th dramateek
   konflikts  prsonal  we all struggul  with how we
 escape th crueltee  or non rewarding  dominans
  uv othrs thru  we being harsh ourselvs  squel 4
our freedom from bull shit  skreem 4 our demands
 that we b lovd  not always rite on sumtimes we ovr
  reakt mor drama  we ar all such devoteez uv  evn
bside th endless atlantik  we ar such fish stik toddlrs
   bside  we caree on  all th strugguls  duelistik layr
 ing uv kontradiktoree tapestereez  n eventualee let
   go  evreewuns konfusd  n feeling th guidans n
   wondring  what is it all  th blessings  th pain  th
  journeez  th sun bakes us  4give  n love  n find
as a demand that will seldom work honestlee we need
   2 rewrite it  make  let it glow  mor   will i evr go
  back aftr sumwuns bin harsh 2 me  sumtimes its
  eazier thn othrs  th sun can reapeer  it was all a
  ms mistr undrstanding  othr times its just not
    possibul  try not 2 think uv it  moov on  b loving
b ther  wundr  th road n th bus taking a suddn
 curv  tho th drivr knows it like th back uv his
hand   thru th see saltee  inkee  nite  ium thinking
  now  4 a veree  littul whil  nothing is missing
     evreething  is  alredee  heer

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