I've tried to be
an American. I've
gone to Pizza Hut
to "make it great"
with my favorite
toppings. I've
negotiated for hours
about the rescheduling
of plane reservations
with in-training
nonunion operators.
Though I've resisted the
closures of form
I've
been told the
result risks
being Jello (without,
alas, a nod to Jack
Benny--"Jello
Again"). I've been to
Boca Ratan & twice to
Disney World &
three times to
Sea World. Soon I'll
be going to the Universal
Studios, which is my
idea of a great name. But
I've had trouble with
sincerity--
people say my
irony is static & that
I can't get "with"
detail. But
I've been
doing aerobics &
completed my third session
with the
chiropractor, & been
better in groups &
started feeling comfortable
sharing
my high-medium
cholesterol level to
get support for
a change to synthetic
fats & sugars.
When I die I'm
sure America
will have
taken hold.

(Liberty, New York, August 1989)

there's beauty in the sound of the rushing brook as it forks & bends in the moonlight

charles bernstein