Poems and Texts

“HYPNAGOGIC BOSTON” by Garrett Caples

HYPNAGOGIC BOSTON

by the little screen
where I lie with the dogs
and live with no drugs
and ponder the ponderosa
beneath this heat where
my flaming feet repeat
the steps I missed
the first last time around
a lossless ratio stations itself
on guard against the density
of imperfected memories
I send postcards abroad
to mister & missus god
asking if clarity begins at home
and hope the answer’s no
I know the script’s too cryptic
to decipher aboard this floating horse
tell the doctor when to expect
my corpse to arrive by riverboat
slowly befitting my dignity

from Power Ballads (Wave Books, 2016) by Garrett Caples

Photo: Suzanne Kleid

Garrett Caples

Garrett Caples is the author of three books of poetry, most recently Power Ballads (Wave, 2016). He has also written a book of essays called Retrievals (Wave, 2014), about various overlooked artists and writers. He is an editor at City Lights, where he curates the Spotlight Poetry Series, and his latest editorial project, Preserving Fire: Selected Prose by Philip Lamantia, will appear in the fall from Wave Books.

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