ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Buff Whitman-Bradley is the author of two books of poems, b.eagle, poet, and The Honey Philosophies. Poetry aside, he produces documentary videos and audios, including the award-winning film Outside In—about people who visit prisoners on San Quentin’s death row. His interviews with U.S. soldiers who have refused to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan can be heard at www.couragetoresist.org. He lives in northern California.

Primordial soup

By Buff Whitman-Bradley


Primordial soup and
No clocks no escalators no horoscopes
No rhinestones no parades
No nickels no opera no jars
No high-heeled sneakers
No Andalusian lace
No candles no windows
No orchid cologne

 

No national parks no baseball caps
No bamboo flutes no graves
No shovels no comics no fountains
No frescoes no Outer Mongolia no spoons

 

And forget about apples and snakes
It didn’t happen that way

 

Underneath the monkey tree
They are beside themselves
And utterly still with desire
It will never be
This quiet again
Kissing is about to arrive
Let’s go skinny dipping in the gene pool
How like figs
Is the taste of her skin
How like a shout are his thighs

 

There aren’t any ghosts yet
Or memories
Only the faintest traces
Of the passing of deer
On a hillside behind this page
And far away inside every sound
The silvery voices of all the children
Not yet born
Calling
Mother father home



Published July 2009