Carnal Knowledge (a poem)

I wake up in the morning

to raucous laughter

meat-gorging birds

gum-bound kookaburras

sounding still-shitfaced

tall tales, shouts at the bar

still partying at dawn

mate this, mate that

.

I'm coming out of an outback dream

one of the Hayworths there by my side

daubing my gangrened soul

me, the Hemingway Hero

all grace under fire

talking ragtime

about the days when

and circling in the dark

on the edge of the dying fire

that lights what's left of memory

hyenas titter at my demise

vultures in a silhouetted tree

will take me by surprise

and the last thing I will feel

is the globe theater of Susan's ass

and the backhand slap of her response

to backward patriarchy

and my presumption

and as if hearing my thoughts

.

the kookaburras start up again

.

so much for Paris

and its gargoyles

#############

John Hawkins - Kookaburras Laughing