PROEMS FROM A GONE WORLD: THE EARLY PROSE AND POETRY OF AMOS STOLTZFUS

adventure

Warhol gave me fifteen extra minutes
   not knowing what to do, I wandered until
I found myself at the waterfront
   laughing sailors approached the city
    I was ready to be off chasing whales
    when I remembered shoelaces untied in
     another room . . .
when I returned the faintest edge of nausea
    tinged the wind
and the boat had already left without me

--Amos Stoltzfus

Incarnations

evocations of life from long-dead hills
   mountains lie waiting to be reborn
wondering about the possibilities of future reincarnations
as hot-dog man on some other side of the planet
    it would be reassuring to know that
   volcanoes felt remorse over
    fiery wasteful childhoods
oh mountains let me assure you
    you have my forgiveness

for a fish I gave away too many wishes
   I dropped a card in that poker game of eternal mansions
     and wound up human
I've been assured that it's all a mistake
   "just fill out the form and of course it will
    take a little time to go through channels"
     so that while I'm waiting . . .

--Amos Stoltzfus

boredoms

what are the voices of sorrow
   echoing from a stinking corridor
what are the faces of grief
   tear-streaked flickerings in the guttering candles
what are the shrieks of despair
   in the bosom of torture
what is the intensity of madness
   compelling, pursuing to the cliff

what are these voices of sorrow
   beside the sickening staleness of ennui
     tired drunks in a bare-walled room
   a ship becalmed at sea
     words and words and words
     tasting dull and flat in the mouth
   ashes in the mind

--Amos Stoltzfus