Charles Olson Book

Superb, detailed, slightly unsettling. This biography prompted me to write the following poem included in my book Moonshot;

olson was


olson was
tired he
had talked
at max. speed
at max. vol.
all night
on whiskey
& speed
w/ camel
in mouth
pencil in hand
to the faded
Gloucester map
the lined paper
the dark window

that automatic
rental car
you drive
down the black mountain
of your all-night
rambling highs at
60mph to slow
to a peyote crawl
daytime low you sure
that the destination’s
worth the ride?
asked creeley

light snow
falls on
his pressed
italian suit
the men look
down at maximus
allen fumbles
his respects
accidentally triggers
the coffin-release
olson falls
head down
to his last
interminable
reading