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See Saw

By David GewanterPosted Wednesday, Sept. 1, 1999, at 3:06 AM ET

on which a boy, smiling

at his friend stuck on
the raised end of the plank
hops off--his glee
to watch that boy drop:

Rage and delight, a sugar-bowl

filled with salt. We need
a chump to cheer us
so God rubs Job with
brine, playing Satan

--but Job is too human

cannot dance in pain
and make God happy
What joke is this
life you gave me?

Suffering grows

a worm of delight
for those who watch,
the pitted eyes of Oedipus
make our play, worm

of Ben Gay squirted in

your pants, burn your ass--
Happy the ghoul
in ghoul's mask
handing the children apples

with razors inside, there's your trick

or punch-line
obituary: "The farmer looped
a chain from tree to tractor,
drove off, and pulled it down

on his head." The woman arrested

for resisting arrest,
Domine sing the doughty Monks
of Masoch, the man pinned
by a tree underwater,

giggling as his friend

gives him mouth to mouth,
giggling, drowning, Domine
chant the monks, Domine
and smash their mouths

with boards--denying us

our casual voodoo
the pleasure to give pain
that gives pleasure of pain,
unmerited, cruel, free creation

in a falling world that falls

but we kick it further--
the axe-man whispers run
to the convict he beheads
so the body for our delight

jumps up headless

--a sick story
but undying, we
would empty Hell
for such life, whip

the mad dog for its

palindrome
god dam, just kidding
just pulling your leg, you
hanging from the tree of Love.

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David Gewanter's is author of two books of poetry, In the Belly and The Sleep of Reason. He teaches at Georgetown University.
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