December 12th
And what of me?
I work each day in my
leotards at the State School
where the retarded are
locked up with hospital techniques.
Always I walk past the hydro-
cephalic doorman on his stool
a five-year-old who sits
all day and never speaks,
his head like twenty-five
cent balloon, three times
the regual size. It's nature
but nature works such crimes.
I go to the large cement
day room where fifty kids
are locked up for what
they strangely call play.
The toys are not around,
not given to my invalids
because possessions might get
broken or in the way.
We can't go out. There are no
snowsuits, sometimes no shoes
so what I do for them is what
I bring for them to use.
The room stinks of urine.
Only the two-headed baby
is antiseptic in her crib.
Now I take the autoharp,
the drum, the triangle
the tambourine and the keys
for locked doors and locked
sounds, blind and sharp.
We have clapping of hands
and stamping of feet, please.
I play my humming and lullaby
sounds for each disease.
I sing The Fox Came Out
On a Chilly Night
and Bobby, my favorite
Mongoloid sings Fox to me.
I bring out my silk scarfs
for a group of sprites.
Susan wants the blue scar
and no one is orderly.
I sway with two red scarfs.
I'm in a trance,
calling love me, woo, woo
and we all passionately dance.
I work each day in my
leotards at the State School
where the retarded are
locked up with hospital techniques.
Always I walk past the hydro-
cephalic doorman on his stool
a five-year-old who sits
all day and never speaks,
his head like twenty-five
cent balloon, three times
the regual size. It's nature
but nature works such crimes.
I go to the large cement
day room where fifty kids
are locked up for what
they strangely call play.
The toys are not around,
not given to my invalids
because possessions might get
broken or in the way.
We can't go out. There are no
snowsuits, sometimes no shoes
so what I do for them is what
I bring for them to use.
The room stinks of urine.
Only the two-headed baby
is antiseptic in her crib.
Now I take the autoharp,
the drum, the triangle
the tambourine and the keys
for locked doors and locked
sounds, blind and sharp.
We have clapping of hands
and stamping of feet, please.
I play my humming and lullaby
sounds for each disease.
I sing The Fox Came Out
On a Chilly Night
and Bobby, my favorite
Mongoloid sings Fox to me.
I bring out my silk scarfs
for a group of sprites.
Susan wants the blue scar
and no one is orderly.
I sway with two red scarfs.
I'm in a trance,
calling love me, woo, woo
and we all passionately dance.