by Bob Kaufman
THE WHITE SOUTH SHALL GATHER AT
PRESERVATION HALL.
THE AMERICAN SUN
THE AMERICAN SUN HAS RISEN,
THE OTHER SUNS HAVE LEFT
THE SKY, THE POEM HAS ENTERED
THE REALM OF BLOOD. BLOOD IS
NOW FLOWING IN ALL SKIES AND
ALL THE STARS CALL FOR MORE
BLOOD, THE OLD EMPIRES HAVE
BEEN BROKEN BY THE AMERICAN
SUN AND SHALL CEASE TO EXIST
AS THE POLITICAL ENTITIES THEY
ONCE WERE, AND CAN NEVER BE
AGAIN, THE AMERICAN SUN
BRINGS DEATH TO ALL ENEMY
EMPIRES, THE AMERICAN SUN BRINGS
DEATH BY FIRE TO ALL WHO DARE
OPPOSE THE AMERICAN SUN, EMPIRES
OF THE PAST ARE BREAKING FROM
THE CONSTANT POWER OF THE AMERICAN
SUN, THE AMERICAN SUN CHALLENGES
ALL OTHER EMPIRES AND DEMANDS
THEY RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGES
OF THE AMERICAN SUN, THOSE THAT DO
NOT RESPOND ARE TO BE BROKEN AND
BURNED, THE AMERICAN SUN
OPENS THE GRAVES OF EMPIRES
THAT FALL TO THE AMERICAN SUN,
ALL FORMER KINGS AND QUEENS
OF EMPIRES CRUSHED BY THE
AMERICAN SUN ARE TAKEN FROM
THEIR GRAVE AND TOMBS TO EXIST
IN THE NIGHT OF THE LIVING
DEAD AND SUFFER THEIR
FALL TO THE AMERICAN SUN,
THE PRIESTS OF THE AMERICAN SUN
ARE STARS IN THE SKIES OF
ALL ENEMY EMPIRES, THEY ADMINISTER
THE LAWS OF THE AMERICAN SUN,
THE AMERICAN SUN DOES NOT GIVE
MERCY TO EMPIRES FALLEN TO
THE AMERICAN SUN,
THE AMERICAN SUN DOES NOT PERMIT
DISOBEDIENCE, ANY ATTEMPT TO
DISOBEY THE AMERICAN SUN
IS PUNISHED BY DEATH AND TOTAL
DESTRUCTION OF THE OFFENDING EMPIRE,
THE AMERICAN SUN IS THE
ONLY SUN, ALL OTHERS ARE
BROKEN AND TORN FROM THE
SKY BY THE AMERICAN SUN,
THE DARK STAR THE ENEMY SUNS
HAVE BECOME HAS BEEN
THROWN DOWN ON THE ENEMY’S OWN LAND
BY THE AMERICAN SUN.
THE LANGUAGE OF THE AMERICAN
SUN IS SPOKEN BY STARMEN
AND STARWOMEN OF AMERICA,
THE AMERICAN SUN IS AMERICA, AND
ALL AMERICANS. NO OTHERS
ARE PERMITTED ON OR IN THE
AMERICAN SUN. THE AMERICAN
SUN IS THE ONLY FIRE. ALL OTHERS
ARE PUT OUT BY THE AMERICAN
SUN. THE MOON IS THE AMERICAN
MIDNIGHT SUN AND MUST BE
OBEYED BY ALL OTHER EMPIRES,
THE AMERICAN SUN DOES NOT FORGIVE
ANY ENEMY, BUT PUNISHES EVERY OFFENDER
WITH DEATH AND DESTRUCTION.
THE AMERICAN SUN IS AMERICAN
HOLINESS, THE AMERICAN SUN IS
THE SUN OF HEAVEN, THE AMERICAN SUN
IS THE AMERICAN CHURCH, THE AMERICAN
SUN IS AMERICAN RELIGION, THE
AMERICAN SUN IS THE LAW, IN ALL
SKIES, THE AMERICAN
SUN IS AT WAR WITH ALL ENEMIES
OF THE AMERICAN SUN, THE AMERICAN
PLANETS, MARS JUPITER, SATURN VENUS,
PLUS THE OTHER PLANETS OF
THE AMERICAN UNIVERSE ARE
AT WAR WITH ALL OTHER UNIVERSES,
THE AMERICAN SUN CREATES ALL AMERICAN LIFE.
THE AMERICAN SUN CREATES ATOMIC
DEATH ON ALL ENEMIES OF THE SUN, THE AMERICAN
SUN CALLED THE ATOMIC BOMB IS
BEING DROPPED ON ALL ENEMY
CITIES BY THE AMERICAN SUN,
CALLED THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS,
THE AMERICAN SUN CALLED
THE HYDROGEN BOMB, IS BEING
DROPPED ON ALL ENEMY EMPIRES
BY THE AMERICAN SUN, CALLED
THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS, THE
ENEMIES OF THE AMERICAN
SUN ARE NOT PERMITTED TO
SURRENDER, THE AMERICAN SUN
IS DESTROYING ALL ENEMY EMPIRES,
WHEN THE AMERICAN SUN
HAS COMPLETED THE DESTRUCTION
OF ALL ENEMY EMPIRES, THE
AMERICAN SUN SHALL CREATE
THE FIRES OF WAR, BURNING
ALL OVER AND UNDER THE SKIES
OF THE CRUCIFIXION, AT THE
AMERICAN SUN CALLED THE
CROSS, THE BUDDHA HAS BEEN
TOPPLED AND HAS BECOME AN
EASTERN IDOL WITH NO WESTERN
SKY, THE BUDDHA IS NOW STANDING
IN FRONT OF THE AMERICAN SUN CALLED
R.C.A. VICTOR, LISTENING TO HIS MASTER’S VOICE.
THE BUDDHA HAS A BLACK SPOT ON ONE EAR NOW.
THE AMERICAN SUN CALLED
ARTHUR FARNSWORTH TELEVISION
HAS TORN DOWN THE TEMPLE’S
WALLS AND DRIVEN THE MONEY-
LENDERS FROM THE WESTERN
SIDE OF THE RHINE RIVER TO
THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE RIVER
THAT DIVIDES THE GERMAN EMPIRE
INTO TWO SEPARATE BUT EQUAL
STATES, THE AMERICAN SUN HAS
MADE THE MONEYLENDERS
ERECT A WALL OF THE TORN-DOWN
TEMPLE OF THE EAST BANK OF THE RIVER
TO SHIFT THE MONEYLENDER’S POWER
TO THE SIDE OF THE RIVER THAT IS NEAR
VIENNA.
THE AMERICAN SUN CALLED
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS
EXCOMMUNICATED SAVONAROLA
VLADIMIR ILYICH LENIN AND HAS
FORBIDDEN THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE
TO HAVE A CHURCH, OR A CHRISTIAN
RELIGION, THE RELIGIOUS COURT
OF HEAVEN HAS PRONOUNCED HIS
BEHEADING OF THE LADY POPE
ST. JOAN, AN UNFORGIVABLE SIN,
HEAVEN FORBIDS RUSSIA TO HAVE
A CATHOLIC CHURCH, HEAVEN UNDRESSES
THE BODY OF LENIN IN THE TOMB AND
DISCOVERS THE LEGS HAVE TURNED BLACK,
RUSSIAN COMMUNISM IS REFUSED THE
SACRAMENT BY HEAVEN, PRINCE MIKE ROMANOV
OF HOLLYWOOD IS THE ONLY RUSSIAN HEAVEN ALLOWS
IN HEAVEN’S CATHOLIC CHURCH
THE AMERICAN SUN CALLED
THE AMERICAN FLAG IS THE
ONLY FLAG FLYING AT CRUCIFIXION
CALLED THE EARTH NOW IN THE
SKIES OF HEAVEN.
THE AMERICAN SUN IS NOT
PART OF ANY PEACE MOVEMENT.
THE AMERICAN SUN IS A
SUN OF WAR, THE DAYS OF
PEACE ARE DRAWING
TO AN END. THE ENEMIES OF
THE AMERICAN SUN ON THE
EARTH SHALL SOON BE ATTACKED
BY THE PURE POWERS OF THE
AMERICAN SUN. THE ENEMIES OF
THE AMERICAN SUN IN AMERICA
HAVE ALREADY BEEN SENT TO
HELL AT THE AMERICAN
CRUCIFIXION. HELL IS CALLED
THX 1138, THE ENEMIES OF
THE AMERICAN SUN ARE SHOWN
THEMSELVES ON TELEVISION,
IT IS FILMED INSIDE THE CROSS
BY THE AMERICAN SUN.
UNLIKE BIRTH OF A NATION,
IT IS NOT IN PUBLIC DOMAIN,
AT THE CRUCIFIXION,
THE AMERICAN SUN HAS
ATTACKED RUSSIA WITH
NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND MOSCOW
IS IN FLAMES, THE TOMB OF
LENIN HAS BEEN DESTROYED,
THE BODY OF LENIN IS BEING CARRIED THROUGH
THE CITY . . .
UNTITLED
THE EARTH MOVED, AND CHANGED ITS
ANGLE IN RELATION TO OTHER UNIVERSES,
THE SPHINX OPENS THE DOOR, HORUS ENTERS
HIS BEAK EMERGES FROM THE SUN OF
HIS
HEAD, HORUS ARMS OUTSTRETCHED
GIVES THE POEM A SUBSTANCE, SET GOES OFF.
THE TIME OF SET WAS SHORT, HORUS IS
HERE FOREVER, HORUS ADMIRES THE
GOLD KING, PHAROAH TUTANKHAMEN,
AMON RA STANDS WITH OSIRIS AT KARNAK,
HORUS DIRECTS BOY HORUS TO
THE FLIGHT, PYLON GENTLE FLIGHT,
PRUFROCK ENTERS THE
DOOR TO THE ORIENT
AND EMERGES SWIMMING.
FROM A PAINTING BY EL GRECO
I AM THE ETERNITY THAT WAS HELD
BY THE OSTRICH EGG.
THE MAGNIFICENT DECEMBER IS NOW
NO LONGER HIDDEN.
THE SUN, I AM ALONE, IS PRESENT FOREVER.
THE POET
FROM A PIT OF BONES
THE HANDS OF CREATION
FORM THE MIND, AND SHAPE
THE BODY IN LESS THAN A SECOND.
A FISH WITH FROG’S
EYES,
CREATION IS PERFECT.
THE POET NAILED TO THE
BONE OF THE WORLD
COMES IN THROUGH A DOOR,
TO LIVE UNTIL
HE DIES,
WHATEVER HAPPENS IN BETWEEN,
IN THE NIGHT OF THE LIVING
DEAD, THE POET REMAINS ALIVE,
A FISH WITH FROG’S
EYES,
CREATION IS PERFECT.
THE POET WALKS ON THE EARTH
AND OBSERVES THE SILENT
SPHINX UPON THE NILE.
THE POET KNOWS HE MUST
WRITE THE TRUTH,
EVEN IF HE IS
KILLED FOR IT, FOR THE
SPHINX CANNOT BE DENIED.
WHENEVER A MAN DENIES IT,
A MAN DIES.
THE POET LIVES IN THE
MIDST OF DEATH
AND SEEKS THE MYSTERY OF
LIFE, A STONE REALITY IN THE
REALM OF SYMBOLS, FANTASY, AND
METAPHOR, FOR REASONS
THAT ARE HIS OWN WHAT IS REAL
IS THE PIT OF BONES HE COMES
FROM,
A FISH WITH FROG’S
EYES,
CREATION IS PERFECT.
SOMEWHERE A BUDDHA SITS IN
SILENCE AND HOLDS THE
POET AND THE WORLD IN
SEPARATE HANDS AND REALIZES HE
IS BORN TO
DIE.
THE BLOOD OF THE POET
MUST FLOW IN HIS POEM,
SO MUCH SO, THAT OTHERS
DEMAND AN EXPLANATION.
THE POET ANSWERS THAT THE
POEM IS NOT TO BE
EXPLAINED. IT IS WHAT IT
IS, THE REALITY OF THE POEM
CANNOT BE DENIED,
A FISH WITH FROG’S
EYES,
CREATION IS PERFECT.
THE POET IS ALONE WITH OTHERS
LIKE HIMSELF. THE PAIN IS BORN
INTO THE POET. HE MUST LIVE
WITH IT. IT IS HIS SOURCE OF
PURITY, SUFFERING HIS
LEGACY,
THE POET HAS TO BE A
STONE.
A FISH WITH FROG’S
EYES,
CREATION IS PERFECT.
WHEN THE POET PROTESTS THE
DEATH HE SEES AROUND
HIM,
THE DEAD WANT HIM SILENCED.
HE DIES LIKE LORCA DID,
YET LORCA SURVIVES IN HIS
POEM, WOVEN INTO THE DEEPS
OF LIFE. THE POET SHOCKS THOSE
AROUND HIM. HE SPEAKS OPENLY
OF WHAT AUTHORITY HAS DEEMED
UNSPEAKABLE, HE BECOMES THE
ENEMY OF AUTHORITY. WHILE THE
POET LIVES, AUTHORITY
DIES. HIS POEM IS
FOREVER.
WHEN THE POET DIES,
A STONE IS PLACED ON
HIS GRAVE, IT IS HIM,
A PIT OF BONES,
CREATION IS PERFECT,
IN THE PIT OF BONES
A SKY OF STARS, A HEAVEN OF
SUNS AND MOONS, AND THE GREAT
SUN IN THE CENTER,
CREATION IS PERFECT.
A MASK CREATED IN THE PIT
IS THE IMAGE OF THE POET.
THE IMAGE OF THE POET
IS A
SECRET.
A FISH WITH FROG’S
EYES,
CREATION IS PERFECT.
I HAVE WALKED IN THIS WORLD
WITH A CLOAK OF DEATH WRAPPED
AROUND ME. I WALKED ALONE, EVERY
KISS WAS A WOUND, EVERY SMILE
A THREAT.
ONE DAY DEATH REMOVED HIS
CAPE FROM AROUND ME,
I UNDERSTOOD WHAT I HAD LIVED
THROUGH. I HAD NO REGRETS,
WHEN THE CLOAK WAS REMOVED,
I WAS IN A PIT OF BONES,
A FISH WITH FROG’S
EYES,
CREATION IS PERFECT.
LONE EAGLE
IT IS SARASWATI AGAIN,
IN THE DANCE OF SHIVA,
THE ONLY DANCE THERE IS,
VINCENT VAN GOGH’S CUT OFF
EAR FLOWING THROUGH THE
IMPRESSIONISTIC SKY, THE BEAUTIFUL
FACE OF RIMBAUD ILLUMINATES
THE FURY MICHELANGELO
HAS RELEASED UPON THE
WORLD. CHARLES LINDBERGH
DREAMS OF THE WATERS HE HAS SEEN.
I AM A CAMERA
THE POET NAILED ON
THE HARD BONE OF THIS WORLD,
HIS SOUL DEDICATED TO SILENCE
IS A FISH WITH FROG’S EYES,
THE BLOOD OF A POET FLOWS
OUT WITH HIS POEMS, BACK
TO THE PYRAMID OF BONES
FROM WHICH HE IS THRUST
HIS DEATH IS A SAVING GRACE
CREATION IS PERFECT
JANUARY 30, 1976: MESSAGE TO MYSELF
It is the time of illusion and reality,
Russia deliberately creates the illusion of
wanting peace,
While preparing feverishly for war.
The slogans used by Communism are based on a desire
for peace,
They are illusionary, for they are desiring an atmosphere
for war.
The U.N. wants peace, but it must be careful
Not to compromise itself by settling for peace
At any cost. The West cannot rest easy, for Russia is
Anxious for war, while Russia cannot risk a unified
Germany.
All the contradictions of the situation heighten the Dangers of war.
The Ancient Rain is falling. It is falling on the N.A.T.O. meetings,
It is falling in Red Square. Will there be war or peace?
The Ancient Rain knows, but does not say.
I make speculations of my own, but I do not discuss them
Because the Ancient Rain is falling.
The Ancient Rain is falling all over America now.
The music of the Ancient Rain is heard everywhere.
THE ANCIENT RAIN
At the illusion world that has come into existence of world that exists secretly, as meanwhile the humorous Nazis on television will not be as laughable, but be replaced by silent and blank TV screens. At this time, the dead nations of Europe and Asia shall cast up the corpses from the graveyards they have become. But today the Ancient Rain falls, from the far sky. It will be white like the rain that fell on the day Abraham Lincoln died. It shall be red rain like the rain that fell when George Washington abolished monarchy. It shall be blue rain like the rain that fell when John Fitzgerald Kennedy died.
They will see the bleached skeletons that they have become. By then, it shall be too late for them. All the symbols shall return to the realm of the symbolic and reality become the meaning again. In the meantime, masks of life continue to cover the landscape. Now on the landscape of the death earth, the Luftwaffe continues to fly into Volkswagens through the asphalt skies of death.
It shall be black rain like
the rain that fell on the day Martin Luther King died. It shall be the Ancient Rain that fell on the day Franklin Delano Roosevelt died. It shall be the Ancient Rain that fell when Nathan Hale died. It shall be the brown rain that fell on the day Crispus Attucks died. It shall be the Ancient Rain that fell on July Fourth, 1776, when America became alive. In America, the Ancient Rain is beginning to fall again. The Ancient Rain falls from a distant secret sky. It shall fall here on America, which alone, remains alive, on this earth of death. The Ancient Rain is supreme and is aware of all things that have ever happened. The Ancient Rain shall be brilliant yellow as it was on the day Custer died. The Ancient Rain is the source of all things, the Ancient Rain knows all secrets, the Ancient Rain illuminates America. The Ancient Rain shall kill genocide.
The Ancient Rain shall bring death to those who love and feel only themselves. The Ancient Rain is all colors, all forms, all shapes, all sizes. The Ancient Rain is a mystery known only to itself. The Ancient Rain filled the seas. The Ancient Rain killed all the dinosaurs and left one dinosaur skeleton to remind the world that the Ancient Rain is falling again.
The Ancient Rain splits nations that have died in the Ancient Rain, nations so that they can see the culture of the living dead they have become, the Ancient Rain is falling on America now. It shall kill D. W. Griffith and the Ku Klux Klan; Hollywood shall die in the Ancient Rain. This nation was born in the Ancient Rain, July 4, 1776. The Ancient Rain shall cause the Continental Congress to be born again.
The Ancient Rain is perfection. The Ancient Rain cured the plague without medicine. The Ancient Rain is vindictive. The Ancient drops are volcanoes and in one moment destroyed Pompeii and brought Caesar down, and now Caesar is fallen. This Roman Empire is no more. The Ancient Rain falls silently and secretly. The Ancient Rain leaves mysteries that remain, and no man can solve. Easter Island is a lonely place.
The Ancient Rain wets people with truth and they expose themselves to the Ancient Rain. Egypt has a silent sphinx and pyramids made of death chambers so that Egypt remembers the day the Ancient Rain drowned it forever. The mummies no longer speak, but they remember the fury of the Ancient Rain. Their tombs have been sawed in pieces and moved to the graveyard to make way for the pool of Ancient Rain that has taken their place.
The Ancient Rain saw Washington standing at Appomattox and it fell on Lee as he laid down his sword. The Ancient Rain fell on the Confederacy and it was no more.
The Ancient Rain is falling again. The Ancient Rain is falling on the waves of immigrants who fled their homelands to come to this home of Ancient Rain to be free of tyranny and hunger and injustice, and who now refuse to go to school with Crispus Attucks, the Ancient Rain knows they were starving in Europe. The Ancient Rain is falling. It is falling on the N.A.T.O. meetings. It is falling in Red Square. Will there be war or peace? The Ancient Rain knows, but does not say. I make speculations of my own, but I do not discuss them, because the Ancient Rain is falling.