Hamilton’s essay Poesis Behind Bars
_______
Richard Hamilton
Alabama InmateNotes
For Moses
1
The job is taxingclanking on the bars we all agree we need some new work boots and yet and moreover we need a new outlook Sir it is one hundred degrees in here and the air isobscene as well as our knees hurt where our heavenly body speaks to us andnothing Sir to scratch our dreams on the wall with and there Sir is anotherrape another fucking suicide goes underreported and guards scream bust yourhead if you buck andsome of us live Sir in San Francisco where the smells are all kind brown andblue musk that in our dreams fuses railroad a chain of events Sir that leadhere and suppose us dead and deserving we all agree we have families we hurt inreal life we step out of line we talk shit eat watermelon on Independence Dayas well as find our handcuffs birdcalls women or booze until the sun goes downour feet bar after bar Sir as the clanking renews itself as we take lint fromthe laundry room to cot with us we all agree as we ink we blot out we meld wemurder we assemble for chow with each clanking bar our heavenly body speaks of.
2
Bench press now tofind the right words like if I can’t have champagne, red wine is
fine.
3
Here by green—Green,how I love you, green.Green wind. Green branches—inside the poem—the flesh ontheir hands was green—he means wet—she dreams by herrailing—asin virginal—
green hair, green flesh—[1]
4
Drive thatplate—steady son. Drive that plate—steady son. Plates stack time-shift hum drum line.Driver hit his—smashed his thumb. Driver hit his—smashed his thumb.Boy, it’s numb. Been that way all day. Tote them ties—don’t drop a one.Tote them ties—don’t drop a one. Won’t be long yet, Boss.
We almost done.[2]
9
We don’t have accessto the internet.
11
I’m from Van Dyke’shome city. My family’s blue-collar.
13
In the dream, my bodypinned to your context can neitherrole play nor perform the stunt. Of dying, and needing a new body, I pummel forwhat’s left of an organic apple sitting on the black round table deliberatingover fish or chicken tonight. Over whether to write a bad check for some eggsand a brownie. Either way, the dinner is foiled thinking about you. On themaster copy of my body and whose right it is to take: Letter #1: Be honest. Letter#2: I’ll never grow fond of this place. Letter #3: Hardly much could hurt mehere.
14
Keep sex andfriable body separate, but equal. Next time you visit the weight pile, saythat, and get your head cracked.
16
All those loops andrepetitions come straight out a child’s mouth.
17
Laugh. Everyday. Dark.Pride. Saddens. Smile. Believe. Shine. Laugh. Past. Joy. Dance. Blinded. Clown.
Look. Past. Foolishness. Laugh.[3]
18
I write about the seathe sod when snicker wags a tail at me and chases anything that moves among themonkey grass and tea when good old Snicker loses sight the sun the buzzing of abee become the tail old Snicker rides until the land becomes the sea a buzzingbrackish little sea old Snicker jumps from tree to tree and happy wags alongthe grass and fast he trails the buzz the bee just as a sailor would the sea he catches hold and nabs the bee but under some great mystery zips out from under Snicker’s paw and whirs abouthis angry maw while squinting sniffing mowing grass til buzz and bee are on histail and stings poor Snicker
on the ass.[4]
19
I am lonely, starvingfor emotional intimacy, femininity, affection. Just then a ready-made handshoves a metal plate through the dark in my cell. The sound is of man with ablack bag covering his face being led down the hallway to chamber music. Dovesfluttering polish the iron chair. In the dream, you are dressing my calf inlamb’s ear, lighting tea candles, my hand to the psalm. Throw me a rope. Quick before waterand book. I’ve had many courses in critique and lie down in my feather bed. Myhead near the seams of pigskin thread, taut. It’s a black psalm, a psalm for thelonesome visitors.
20
Lay me down, Frog. Inthe valley of my shadow. In the alley, for the valley of my shadow of death.For the whole of my youth. Lay down, Frog. Rest.
End Notes
1
The writing in italicsis an epigraph to Cyrus Cassell’s poem, Luna Verde, and is a variation ona line from the poem, Sleepwalking Ballad, by Federico Garcia Lorca.
2This stanza is avariation on Dale Little’s poem, Untitled Work Song. At the time of thisproject, Dale was serving time at the Bibb County Correctional Facility inBrent, Alabama.
3Each word comesfrom a different line in Moses Wingate’s poem, I Can Laugh. At the time of thisproject, Moses was serving time at Bibb County Correctional Facility in Brent,AL.
4This song isinspired by Richard Sandlin’s poem, Snicker Chases the Bee. At the time of thisproject, Richard was serving time at Bibb County Correctional Facility inBrent, AL.
