Tuesday, 5 June 2007

An American Prayer


AN AMERICAN PRAYER
by James Douglas Morrison

Do you know the warm progress under the stars?
Do you know we exist?
Have you forgotten the keys to the Kingdom?
Have you been borne yet & are you alive?
Let's reinvent the gods, all the myths

of the agesCelebrate symbols from deep elder forests[Have you forgotten the lessons of the ancient war]
We need great golden copulations
The fathers are cackling in trees of the forest

Our mother is dead in the sea
Do you know we are being led to slaughters by placid admirals

& that fat slow generals are getting obscene on young blood
Do you know we are ruled by T.V.?

The moon is a dry blood beastGuerilla bands are
rolling numbers in the next block of green vineamassing for warfare on innocent herdsmen who are just dying
O great creator of beinggrant us one more hour to perform our art & perfect our lives
The moths & atheists are doubly divine & dyingWe live, we die& death not ends itJourney we more into the NightmareCling to life our passion'd flowerCling to cunts & cocks of despairWe got our final vision by clapColumbus' groin got filled with green death (I touched her thigh & death smiled)
We have assembled inside this ancient & insane theatreTo propagate our lust for life & flee the swarming wisdom of the streetsThe barns are stormedThe windows kept& only one of all the restTo dance & save usW/ the divine mockery of wordsMusic inflames temperament
(When the true King's murderers are allowed to roam free a 1000 magicians arise in the land)
Where are the feasts we were promisedWhere is the wine The New Wine (dying on the vine)
resident mockerygive us an hour for magicWe of the purple gloveWe of the starling flight& velvet hourWe of arabic pleasure's breedWe of sundome & the night
Give us a creedTo believeA night of LustGive us trust inThe Night
Give of colorhundred huesa rich Mandalafor me & you
& for your silkypillowed housea head, wisdom& a bed
Troubled decreeResident mockeryhas claimed thee
We used to believein the good old daysWe still receiveIn little ways
The Things of Kindness& unsporting browForget & allow
Did you know freedom exists in a school bookDid you know madmen are running our prisonw/in a jail, w/in a gaolw/in a white free protestantMaelstrom
We're perched headlong on the edge of boredomWe're reaching for death on the end of a candleWe're trying for something That's already found us
We can invent Kingdoms of our owngrand purple thrones, those chairs of lust& love we must, in beds of rust
Steel doors lock in prisoner's screams& muzak, AM, rocks their dreamsNo black men's pride to hoist the beamswhile mocking angels sift what seems
To be a collage of magazine dustScratched on foreheads of walls of trustThis is just jail for those who mustget up in the morning & fight for such
unusable standardswhile weeping maidensshow-off penury & poutravings for a madstaff
Wow, I'm sick of doubtLive in the light of certainSouth
Cruel bindingsThe servants have the powerdog-men & their mean womenpulling poor blankets overour sailors(& where were you in our lean hour)Milking your moustache?or grinding a flower?I'm sick of dour facesStaring at me from the T.V.Tower. I want roses inmy garden bower; dig?Royal babies, rubiesmust now replace abortedStrangers in the mudThese mutants, blood-mealfor the plant that's plowed
They are waiting to take us into the severed gardenDo you know how pale & wanton thrillful comes death on strange hour unannounced, unplanned forlike a scaring over-friendly guest you've brought to bedDeath makes angels of us all & gives us wingswhere we had shoulders smooth as raven's claws
No more money, no more fancy dressThis other Kingdom seems by far the bestuntil its other jaw reveals incest& loose obedience to a vegetable law
I will not goPrefer a Feast of FriendsTo the Giant family


II

Great screaming ChristUpsy-daisyLazy Mary will get you upupon a Sunday morning
"The movie will begin in 5 moments"The mindless Voice announced"All those unseated, will awaitThe next show"
We filed slowly, languidlyinto the hall. The auditoriumwas vast, & silent.As we seated & were darkenedThe Voice continued:
"The program for this eveningis not new. You have seenThis entertainment thru & thru.You've seen your birth, yourlife & death; you might recallall of the rest -- (did youhave a good world when youdied?) -- enough to basea movie on?"
An iron chuckle rapped ourminds like a fist.
I'm getting out of hereWhere're you going?To the other side of the morningPlease don't chase the cloudspagodas, temples
Her cunt gripped himlike a warm friendlyhand.
"It's all right.All your friends are here."
When can I meet them?"After you've eaten"I'm not hungry"O, we meant beaten"
Silver stream, silvery scream,impossible concentration
Here come the comedianslook at them smileWatch them dancean indian mile
Look at them gestureHow aplombSo to gesture everyone
Words dissembleWords be quickWords resemble walking sticks
Plant themThey will growWatch them waver soI'll always bea word-manBetter than a birdman
But I'll chargeWon't get awayw/out lodging a dollar
Shall I say it againaloud, you get the pointNo food w/out fuel's gain
I'll be, the irish loudunleashed my beakat peak of powers
O girl, unleashyour worried comb
O worried mind
Sin in the fallenBackwoods by the blind
She smells debton my new collar
Arrogant proseTied in a network of fast questHence the obsession
Its quick to admitFats borrowed rhythmWoman came between them
Women of the world uniteMake the world safeFor a scandalous life
Hee HeeeCut your throatLife is a joke
Your wife's in a moatThe same boatHere comes the goat
Blood Blood Blood BloodThey're making a jokeof our universe


III

MatchboxAre you more real than meI'll burn you, & set you freeWept bitter tearsExcessive courtesyI won't forget

IV

A hot sick lava flowed up,Rustling & bubbling.The paper-face.Mirror-mask, I love you mirror.
He had been brainwashed for 4 hrs.The LT. puzzled in again "ready to talk""No sir" -- was all he'd say. Go back to the gym. Very peaceful Meditation
Air base in the desertlooking out venetian blindsa planea desert flowercool cartoon
The rest of the Worldis reckless & dangerousLook at thebrothelsStag filmsExploration


V

A ship leaves portmean horse of another thicketwishbone of desiredecry the metal fox

1 comment:

Dhiraj said...

great choice. Later half of sixties was a good time for Morrison to be alive. The raging counter-culture with its angst ridden yearnings, primal sexuality, unhinged drunkenness and a wildly seductive notion of enlightenment- was ready for him. He came and lent a veneer of sheer sexiness to the excesses of his era.
http://modernartists.blogspot.com/2011/09/weird-scenes-inside-goldmine-death-lust.html