Zumwalt Poems Online

Archive for July 1, 2011

search and rescue

search and rescue

one thing I learned from the fire fighters was how to search and rescue
to comb the hills
looking, looking, looking
taking supplies so I won’t fall prey to the wilderness

My greyhound sits on this tabletop
iced down with no staw
the cigarette puffs out its short life
and I peer into the dark

i could use a flashlight
i could use you
i could use you using me

does anybody here need help?
is anyone lost?
is anyone searching?

will anyone here say hello?
is anyone still looking?
is anyone even sympathetic?

one thing I never learned from the fire fighters was how to ignore and
abandon
to forgive and forget
living life in the present
building a future that isn’t based on you.

-zumwalt (July 1990)

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possession

possession

this line is mine

— zumwalt (1998)

the wreck of goodwill

the wreck of goodwill

every dime counted
seemed to count itself
but the pennies were the trouble spot
and the cost of all goodwill.

— zumwalt (1998)

At 11

At 11

CAPTURE TRUTH
answer broadly cast will
ignore
and you will miss

EXAMINE TRUTH
highlights at eleven
lesson in decision
promotion and volition
exception and invention

ARRANGE TRUTH
broadcast and ignore
answer and miss
ask and choose
seek and send

ALTER TRUTH
answer and you will broadcast lesson and invention
ignore and you will miss promotion at eleven
ask and you will bend exception and volition
seek and you will choose highlights in decision

SEDATE TRUTH
ask and seek
ignore answer

BURY TRUTH
broadcast

-zumwalt 1998

Assorted Zumwalts

Collected writings of Zumwalt.  All poems posted here are authorized to be posted by the author.

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