I am an idiot...
...to mourn the death of my semi-mentor, John Haag.
He got there first, and explained exactly what he wanted.
In re-reading his books of poetry, I came across the following, which fills me with joy.
Attend:
My Funeral: A Conscientious Objection
(by John Haag)
Personally
I'd rather not go
my body to science
or up in smoke
or down the plug
-- whatever --
but odds are
no matter what
I say, swear
or herewith will
once I'm no longer
in my body
to defend it
some body-snatching
bastard from a
mass-production
mortuary invoking
social stupidity
will run his
cosmetic fingers
through my hair and
pinch & pat me
pretty
for the first time
in my life
then garble me
with unction
sing Rock of Ages
insult my vices
with forgiveness
and ladle the syrup
of sanctimony
all over me.
Listen.
If they
do do
this to me
and you call
yourselves
my friends
come to me
-- now I'm dead
and I need you --
protect me
show your love
guffaw at the cliches
fart resoundingly
in the respectful
silences, sabotage
the electric organ
dance in the aisles
-- anything -- just
if you love me
don't
let them
get away with it.
If you can find a copy of Stones Don't Float, do so (pay to the limit of what you are comfortable with). It has the lion's share of his best poems. Also, the section called "Atlantis on $5.00 a Day" alone is worth your while, because it contains truth -- every movement is a poetical representation of a real-world lesson learned by John.
(fart)
It's what he would have wanted. ;)
He got there first, and explained exactly what he wanted.
In re-reading his books of poetry, I came across the following, which fills me with joy.
Attend:
My Funeral: A Conscientious Objection
(by John Haag)
Personally
I'd rather not go
my body to science
or up in smoke
or down the plug
-- whatever --
but odds are
no matter what
I say, swear
or herewith will
once I'm no longer
in my body
to defend it
some body-snatching
bastard from a
mass-production
mortuary invoking
social stupidity
will run his
cosmetic fingers
through my hair and
pinch & pat me
pretty
for the first time
in my life
then garble me
with unction
sing Rock of Ages
insult my vices
with forgiveness
and ladle the syrup
of sanctimony
all over me.
Listen.
If they
do do
this to me
and you call
yourselves
my friends
come to me
-- now I'm dead
and I need you --
protect me
show your love
guffaw at the cliches
fart resoundingly
in the respectful
silences, sabotage
the electric organ
dance in the aisles
-- anything -- just
if you love me
don't
let them
get away with it.
If you can find a copy of Stones Don't Float, do so (pay to the limit of what you are comfortable with). It has the lion's share of his best poems. Also, the section called "Atlantis on $5.00 a Day" alone is worth your while, because it contains truth -- every movement is a poetical representation of a real-world lesson learned by John.
(fart)
It's what he would have wanted. ;)