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Friday, July 24, 2009

Two poems by Richard Brautigan from The Pill versus The Springfield Mine Disaster

1939 Part 3                                                             Insane Asylum Part 8
"Baudelaire used to come                                            "Baudelaire went
to our house and watch                                               to the insane asylum
me grind coffee.                                                          disguised as a
That was in 1939                                                         psychiatrist.
and we lived in the slums                                              He stayed there
of Tacoma.                                                                  for two months                                    
My mother would put                                                   and when he left,                                                    
the coffee beans in the grinder.                                     the insane asylum               
I was a child                                                                loved him so much               
and would turn the handle                                            that it followed                              
pretending that it was                                                  him all over
     a hurdy-gurdy,                                                       California,
and Baudelaire would pretend                                       and Baudelaire  
that he was a monkey,                                                 laughed when the                                               
hopping up and down                                                  insane asylum
and holding out                                                           rubbed itself  
a tin cup."                                                                   up against his        
                                                                                  leg like a
                                                                                  strange cat."

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