Both beautiful and heartbreaking, Don Van Vliet recites his offbeat poetic lyrics:
1. Fallin’ Ditch.
When I get lonesome the wind begin t’ moan
When I trip fallin’ ditch
Somebody wanna’ throw the dirt right down
When I feel like dyin’ the sun come out
’n stole m’ fear ‘n gone
Who’s afraid of the spirit with the bluesferbones
Who’s afraid of the fallin’ ditch
Fallin’ ditch ain’t gonna get my bones
How’s that for the spirit
How’s that for the things
Ain’t my fault the thing’s gone wrong
‘n when I’m smilin’ my face wrinkles up real warm
’n when um frownin’ things just turn t’ stone
Fallin’ ditch ain’t gonna get my bones
’n when I get lonesome the wind begin t’ moan
Fallin’ ditch ain’t gonna get my bones
2. The Tired Plain.
The bra was white and yellow elastic
and held to foam cones
the corners triangular shaped
pyramid
three edges made one point
starfish and embry boards
triple D cupped and poked to a point
the main character was composed into a bow
that broke first in the front
and equal on adjacent sides
American cowboy was approaching on a collision course
-his hands groped outstretched three digits triangular
to the front nail a line was drawn from the middle
finger to the knuckle of the index finger across
the middle finger onto the third -
creating a perfect arrow
with an imaginary front point
3. Skeleton Makes Good.
There’s so many things
to feel and see while you’re awake
they’re just out of reach
out of grasp
yeah out of reach
and just as many; maybe more
the minute that you sleep
so I got to throw my preach
skeleton breath
scorpion blush
I have a crush on your skeleton
watch out unsuspecting stranger
you’ll fall off the log
headfirst into dreams
end up screaming
this will comb the wolf
and that will comb the fog
what will peen the rain
what will preen the hog
oh you mean earth
and hell over you
and laugh at your tire tracks
if you get up
skeleton makes good.
4. Safe Sex Drill.
The child
held the old T.P. roll
carefully
thoughtful
not to misshape
the hole
5. Tulip.
It could be
a tremendous black upside-down tulip
it could be
a black fishes’ tail
it could be a day, artistically crimped
and buoyant
in its taped together way
6. Gill.
Bub & Gil
Bub & Gil
Bub in India
Bub & Mat
Bub in the wool
Bub in a rug
Indoor Bub – Bub in stitches
Glass Bub – Bub in rope
Bub in jail
Bub in tent
Bub in pale
Bub on springs – Bub’s brakes
Bub in pyjamas
Bub’s party – with Gil & Mat & Bub in stitches
Erect Bub
Gill’s pill
Perfumeral
Don’s recitation can be downloaded from Zappateers.
Note: Thanks to “randolphr” for uploading the above video. Thanks also go to “reldditmot” for informing us here at KUR that these poems were “actually recorded in 1993 and first released on CD with the ‘Stand Up To Be Discontinued‘ art book in 1994.”
Beautiful & Heartbreaking – Vliet Recites Poetry, 1993 is a blogpost from killuglyradio.com.
