Thursday, April 5, 2007

Toughest Post Yet




Writing poetry is a lot like fasting. Days 1-3 are fine. 5 & 6 are unbearable and the rest...we'll see.

Day 5 is for Bob Clark. He was an amazing director who died yesterday with his 22 year old son when a drunk driver in a Yukon hit their vehicle. One of my favorites is Deathdream (thank you, Steve Burhans, for showing it to me) but Clark will be the most remembered for A Christmas Story (which my mom makes us watch every Xmas for 24 hours, with commercials, on TBS). So, none of my art today, but a fantastic still from Deathdream instead. And, of course, the lovely, emotive poem:

5
(for Bob Clark)

Fearsome flesh monster – you are the monkey’s paw of the plot. You are the simple blood junkie with a heart of gold. You are a broken lawn chair, the forgery of speech and this town’s own self-made, fucked-up paramedic. You are a walking soldier hamburger with a miniature U.S. flag toothpick stuck in the center. Foreign policy has kidnapped your blood but you can still feel your wormy astronaut body.

1 comment:

Nathan Austin said...

I really think a collage homage to Clark is warranted. I also think "collage homage" is a funny phrase, and I've never had the occasion to use it before.