WEBVTT

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Probably just two
or three more poems.

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And then read something that
I hope will be entertaining,

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a little short story.

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Now, I'll finish
with some new poems.

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Here's a poem written somewhat
in the style of probably

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the poet that I most--

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the contemporary poet
that I most admire,

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and that's in translation
of his first book.

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The Israeli poet by the
name of Yehuda Amichai.

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When I wrote the poem, I was
giving a reading in Chicago,

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and I decided that it would
be quite the romantic thing

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to do to take the train
from Portland, Oregon

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out to Chicago.

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And it turned out to be the
most claustrophobic experience

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of my life, which was
relieved only by the fact

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that they had an
observation car.

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You know, one of those
glassed-in cars, where I

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and a couple of people that I
met and struck up a friendship

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with, could sit all
night, smoke grass

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and listen to the local kids
who were in the train talking.

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And they were talking
mostly about rock concerts,

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and who had masturbated, who
had broken whose guitar on who,

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things like that.

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It was great.

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Talking about mooning
people, you know.

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It was another life.

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"Though I Long to Be No One."

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I passed for two nights
and days, alone on a train.

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Whatever I do, I
am always leaving.

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Whoever's face I
lay my own along,

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the cheekbones bruised
and rose, faces

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of friends, of women,
the elongated face

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of my third wife, aged and
concerned about my house.

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Nightly, I carry them
forward and sleep,

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though I long to be no one.

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The wheels of iron pass
over these rails and boards

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above water.

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Over the bodies of my
constant departure,

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into my constant longing."

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I'm the right poet
to read tonight,

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boy, after these days of rain.

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Drear.

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