The Heat On Timorous Minnows
a homophonic translation of Baudelaire’s “L’Héautontimorouménos”
Jets repair without cholera
and without hands, like the butchers,
like the noise of a rocker!
And the fire of potpourri,
pours above my Sahara,
a jailer of suffering eyes.
My desire frees from appearance
certain plurals to sell Asian rugs
like vessels quickened and large,
that dance my cortical solar aunt
to sheer sandlots turning around
to a chamber of charging bats!
Are not Swiss jeeps that fax a cord
and dance the divine symphony
grace from the voice of Irony
and my security to mourn?
The last dance of my voice (the crying!)
casts out my song (the poisoner!)
and swings the sinister mirror
out of meager regard!
Just see the play and the county!
Just see the souffle and the juice!
Just see the membranes of rouge.
and the victims of the bureau!
Just see the moon of vampire heart
—and these grand abandonments
of rare eternal condiments
that never prevent our sore ear!