by Larry Fagin

You haven’t lost the desire to reason effectively. You still care about what’s
published under your name, you. And you’re skeptical about sightings and
abductions —but in your heart you’re on “their” side. $400 is missing from your
sock drawer.
It was for new things, new socks. Go ahead, make a show. But
it’s a lame metaphor. Better stay home with your canary. Run ’em off at the mouth.
The country is hung at both ends. You can be
a part of that. In fact without you there’d be everyone else, right ?  Certainly I
would be dead. At an unknown time, closed and dark. Open your eyelids, it’s the
middle of the light. You’re the exterior, tear yourself away.

by Larry Fagin

“Nothing whatever, it arises as everything.” Lemon zest.  I can’t seem to keep
quiet which is a pity because you really need to rest. If you could run you would
call running a rest period. There’s no way out so go deeper in. Spot what don’t
fit, bombs in fake rocks. I’ve got some paintings of dogs playing cards that might
be valuable. Who’s in the room ?  Just Bill. Bill. I mean how many Bills can
there be ?  Try not to think about generations, individuals, prizes and awards,
movements, tendencies, phalanxes, growth, major or minor status, periods,
phases, context, comparisons, hierarchies, etc. If only you’d stop being yourself,
get it over with, the way the greats do. Care for some gold ?  Poured in a cup ?  I
can’t worry about you (or can I ?)  It’s a kind of banked fate.  Sure the hills have
eyes, assholes too. I’ll see you on the other side. But you can’t climb, can you ?

by David Antin

the wave betrays the wind
thirst teaches you the value of water
if you have nothing you’ve got nothing to lose
the squash calls the melon a cucumber
a small hole can sink a big ship
the road from the peak can only lead to the valley
its easier for a lake to become a swamp than for a swamp to
     become a lake
you can soften steel but it takes a lot of heat
0experience may be a good teacher but its not a governess
when the river overflows, the last raindrop thinks it caused the flood
the sea swallows the wise as well as the fool
hope has distinguished relatives
if you’re looking for a lasting peace try a cemetery
a man with bad luck can drown in a teaspoon of water
looking at a broken pot won’t put it together again
what good is a loaf of bread when thousands are starving
the great volga began as a little stream
don’t become a violin if you don’t want to be stroked
what you tell the volga today the volga will tell the caspian tomorrow
its not the net that counts, it’s the fish
its easier for a dog to learn to howl than for a wolf to learn to bark
most cavalry songs are sung by infantrymen
a wolf without teeth is still a wolf
anyone can die without special training

by David Antin

if the ground under your feet is wet, the sky is to blame
before you buy shoes, make sure you measure your feet
if you doubt what you hear, you can’t believe what you see
it’s as difficult to recover the past as to pick up spilled water
every needle has a point
if there’s a car ahead of you in a fog, you can follow its lights, but
not too closely
no matter how tall you are, your legs still touch the ground
if you’re always in a hurry, you’ll never arrive on time
a person who walks in a straight line and a person who walks in a
curved line will never arrive at the same place
you can tell it on the mountain, but whisper it in the valley
if the morning is sunny, the evening can still bring clouds
a festival for some people is a traffic problem for others
time is a hallway we never get out of, except at the end
a question may be an answer to a question as an answer may
     be a question to an answer
a system of values may be nothing more than an accountant’s
     dream
it’s hard to be a bystander in a storm
the country is where the food is, but the city is where the money is
the fool will not believe you because your story is too complicated
     the educated man will not believe you because your story is
     too simple
there is no fact as unlikely as a giraffe
when you’re caught in the rain you’ll remember you forgot your
     umbrella
don’t climb a tree to look for fish
when you’re climbing a mountain don’t step back
if you’re holding a tool in your hand, it’s also holding you by the hand
you can’t use paint to cover a hole in the wall
there are two sides to every wall
if you don’t drink, the price of wine doesn’t matter
if you stand on a mountain top nothing is likely to fall on your head
if you go underground you may not have enough light
until you get in the water you don’t know what it’s like to swim