and an abiding love for the abstract

Even if you love the racket of ascension, 

you must know how the power leaves you. 

And at this pitch, who has time for meditation? 

The sea walled in by buildings. I do miss 

the quiet. Don't you? When I said, "Fuck the deer 

antlered and hithered in fur," it was because 

I had seen the faces of presidents balled into a fist. 

If I were in charge, I would know how to fix 

the world: free health care or free physicals, 

at least, and an abiding love for the abstract. 

When I said, "All of history is saved for us," 

it was because I scorned the emancipated sky. 

Does the anthem choke you up? When I asked 

God if anyone born to slaves would die 

a slave, He said, "Sure as a rock descending 

a hillside." That's why I'm not a Christian. 

 

[Terrance Hayes {1971- } ‘Mystic Bounce’, from Lighthead]