We Call Upon The Author
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
what we once thought we had we didnt
& what we have now will never be that way again
so WE CALL UPON THE AUTHOR TO EXPLAIN!!!
doop doop doop doop doop doop doop &tc
our myxomatoid kids spraddle the streets
weve shunned them from the greasy-grind
(the poor little things)
they look so sad & old
as they mount us from behind
I ask them to desist
& to
REFRAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
then WE CALL UPON THE AUTHOR TO EXPLAIN!!!
doop doop doop doop doop doop doop &tc
(rosary clutched in his h&
he died w/ tubes up his nose
& a cabal of angels w/ finger cymbals
chanted his name in code)
we shook our fists at the punishing rain
& WE CALLED UPON THE AUTHOR TO EXPLAIN!!!!!
doop doop doop doop doop doop doop &tc
he said — everything is messed up round here / everything is banal
and jejune / there is a planetary conspiracy / against the likes of you
& me / in this idiot
constituency of the moon—
(well, he knew exactly who to blame!!!!)
& WE CALL UPON THE AUTHOR TO EXPLAIN!!!!!
doop doop doop doop doop doop doop &tc
PROLIX!!!!
PROLIX!!!!
NOTHING A PAIR OF SCISSORS CAN’T FIX!!!!
doop doop doop doop doop doop doop &tc
doop doop doop doop doop doop doop &tc
I go guruing down the street
young people gather round my feet
ask me things – but I don’t know where to start
they ignite the powder-trail sssssstraight to my father’s heart!!!!!
& once again
I CALL UPON THE AUTHOR TO EXPLAIN!!!!!!!
doop doop doop doop doop doop doop &tc
(we call upon the author to explain)
who is this great burdensome slavering dog-thing that
mediocres my every thought???
I feel like a VACUUM CLEANER!!! A COMPLETE SUCKER!!!!
(it’s fucked up & he is a fucker!)
but what an enormous & encyclopaedic brain!!!!!!!!!!
I CALL UPON THE AUTHOR TO EXPLAIN!!!!!!
doop doop doop doop doop doop &tc
(mmm yeah)
doop doop doop doop doop &tc
(we call upon the author to explain) o rampant discrimination/ mass poverty/ third world debt/ infectious
disease/ global inequality and deepening socio-economic divisions—
(it does in your brain!!!)
WE CALL UPON THE AUTHOR TO EXPLAIN!!!!!!!
doop doop doop doop doop doop doop &tc
now hang on!!! my friend Doug is tapping on the window
(hey Doug, how you been????????????????????)
brings me a book on holocaust poetry
—–complete with pictures—–
then tells me to get ready for the rain
and WE CALL UPON THE AUTHOR TO EXPLAIN!!!!!!!
doop doop doop doop doop doop doop &tc
PROLIX!!!!
PROLIX!!!!
SOMETHING A PAIR OF SCISSORS CAN FIX!!!!!!!!
Bukowski was a jerk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Berryman was best!!!!!!!!!!!!
he wrote like wet papier mache/ went the Hemming-way/ weirdly
on wings & with MAXIMUM PAIN!!!
WE CALL UPON THE AUTHOR TO EXPLAIN!!!!!
doop doop doop doop doop doop doop &tc
(I call upon the author to explain!)
down in my bolthole I see they’ve published
another volume of unreconstructed rubbish
“the waves, the waves were soldiers moving”
thank you! thank you! thank you! & again!
I CALL UPON THE AUTHOR TO EXPLAIN!!!!!
doop doop doop doop doop doop doop &tc
WE CALL UPON THE AUTHOR TO EXPLAIN!!!
doop doop doop doop doop doop doop &tc
WE CALL UPON THE AUTHOR TO EXPLAIN!!!!
doop doop doop doop doop doop doop &tc
PROLIX!!!!
PROLIX!!!!
NOTHING A PAIR OF SCISSORS CAN’T FIX!!!!!!!!
