Billy Little

 

stuck his neck out
(for joe and charlie)

i love this photo of ed dorn
a ghost before he died
his neck so thin
his tie seemed
just
his neck
continuing
outside his shirt
as if
he were neck
clear to his belly button

what i mean is thousands
should have filled streets
the day of his funeral
if we were truly greeks
real democrats

smashing limousine windows
in his honour, banks in flames
he should have been taken by train
back to idaho
by way of gloucester
and kent state and lawrence
and san francisco
and the skagit valley

ed dorn is the poet chaplin
always hoped to be
the poet john adams cried out for
the poet with the six foot ear

the last time i saw ed
over salmon and corn
in bob and mary's backyard
ed caught me assuming
all the world knew and thought highly of
Charles Olson and William Carlos Williams
"billy," he said,
"who even heard of these people?"