a poet's eventuality

a poet's eventuality

 

 

Frank O'Hara, the weapon was

the idling dune buggy, as you were 

waiting to die from an overdose

of poetry you wrote about Lana Turner

 

he kept begging her to get up

but her drunken state

prevented him from crossing

her state line.

 

an unaccustomed 

dead poet finds notoriety

as his poetry

 

finds a way to get up

or avoid accidents

even if he cannot

 

Frank, why didn't you hijack the key

walk back to your flat

and punch a different kind of key

with your poetic fist

 

a Beat poet

might look amiss

from the fight

but maybe he can

outlive his poems

 

waiting for Lana

to rise from herself.

 

 

erin-cilberto

7/23/25

Reviews

[Chris Shaw]

I guess Frank O’Hara was fixated on beautiful and tragic Lana. He may not have been able to help her then, but I guess his poetry still keeps her alive in the memory of his readers today.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for appreciating my writing about other poets...you always seem to. He was one of my favorites...my process of writing is much like his was...thank you...I am imagining you will my one and only review of this piece...I think Frank appreciates even more than I do.
j.

[Chris Shaw]

I know how much you appreciate his work j. Yours is also held in high esteem by many.