April 9, 2010: Heaven, William Heyen
Heaven
William Heyen
Henry Thoreau’s last words: “Moose…Indian.”
Joe DiMaggio’s: “I’ll finally get to see Marilyn.”
Henry died never having gone to bed with a woman.
Joe enjoyed dozens, but in the end loved only one,
& believed that after he’d signed his last ball or bat,
he’d find her waiting in Yankee Stadium in starlight.
Henry died younger, & wasn’t sure about the out-there,
except it sounded transcendentally beautiful, whether
or not it was cognizant of him or was just a cowbell
thinking in the mind of the great Oversoul,
but if it at least proved amenable
to hounds, bay horses, turtledoves, what the hell.
Maybe Henry is in Joe’s penthouse, Joe in Henry’s cabin,
maybe Joe is writing books, Henry hugging Marilyn,
maybe Henry is hitting homers, & Joe is fishing Walden,
maybe Joe & Hank are pals, & Marilyn ecstatic with Emerson.
On this day in…
2009: April in Maine, May Sarton
2008: Making Love to Myself, James L. White
2007: Publication Date, Franz Wright
2006: Living in the Body, Joyce Sutphen
2005: Aberration (The Hubble Space Telescope before repair), Rebecca Elson
