I Have Forged Ahead, Goddamnit

I read from my second collection of poems, Like A Bird Knows To Sing. I have become more interested in interacting with my own voice, my own writing, through readings and reciting my work.

I should also give credit to my wife, Yasmin Vereen, who has helped shape the tone and feel of the reading. I look forward to more readings in the future.

I Have Forged Ahead, Goddamnit

I have forged ahead, goddamnit!
I am one of many; birds.

We fly across the sky, find solace in the

Trees.

I am one of many; birds. I return to my nest, give mother bird a kiss,

I splay my wings out; I hunt from the sky, I bomb down on prey like London,

Like Mahler, oh Mahler! I hear your roar from the divided sky;

Divided into darkness
Divided into Life and Death
But darkness has no religion; it is unrivaled by God-
(Who sits with folded arms, with its head at darkness nod)

Is it not a hopeless thing, but rather a granted wish?
I love pretending that it matters-

but all things fade to dust at best,
Bring your flowers, bring your lovers, bring your knapsack
Have a picnic at the old cemetery
I’ll be the blackbird on the tombstone, with a worm and a cherry.

I drift into two worlds; One ends where the other begins
One is made of divinity; the other, cocaine and gin
I fly along the edges, sometimes I eclipse both
Heavy on each word said, neither sung nor spoke

It reminds me of a quiet man; My grandfather-
he was a devout Christian bird and
died an awful, painful death,

You could smell demise in the air,
And the worms on his breath

When I ruminate on death,
It is as full of life as life
Make of it what you will

The sun, window-sill, fields of flowers
Inhale them, these powers of nature
Slated on God’s tomb or even marble statue

Why do we call it poetry?
Does it mock that power motherly?

Inspect her design, of course
It brings us closer to fragility
And is capable of making saints of men,
clenching in hostility

And yet money is everywhere
It holds up the folding chair, table, cards, deck
And what’s wisdom done for you?

How well does wisdom speak?
I heard He lets out his brain, day by day
week by week

One ought to think like God
And within that godly charm
You’d pay your dues in full;
You’d damn near bet the farm

You’d give it the old college try,
You’d be on your knees
Til the die you die,

You’d worship in the rain or in the mud
You’d drink a sip of wine,
You’d tell yourself its blood

You’d tell yourself it was inescapable,
And those dreams that they had you dream,
Had you feeling relatable
But you were younger then,
Much more capable
Age has got you now,
I can see it in your face
Where angels used to fly,
Time has taken place

They do the jitterbug rag
with such an awful grace

Age has got you now,
So, raise high hell to his head,
And with the devil take dance
I bet God wouldn’t even move
I bet God would pee his pants

From Like A Bird Knows To Sing
Poems from Minas Gerais by Judson Stacy Vereen

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