Poems begining by D
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Dream Song 171: Go, ill-sped book, and whisper to her or
© John Berryman
Go, ill-sped book, and whisper to her or
storm out the message for her only ear
that she is beautiful.
Mention sunsets, be not silent of her eyes
and mouth and other prospects, praise her size,
say her figure is full.
Dream Song 134: Sick at 6 & sick again at 9
© John Berryman
Sick at 6 & sick again at 9
was Henry's gloomy Monday morning oh.
Still he had to lecture.
They waited, his little children, for stricken Henry
to rise up yet once more again and come oh.
They figured he was a fixture,
Dream Song 78: Op. posth. no. 1
© John Berryman
Darkened his eye, his wild smile disappeared,
inapprehensible his studies grew,
nourished he less & less
his subject body with good food & rest,
something bizarre about Henry, slowly sheared
off, unlike you & you,
Dream Song 10: There were strange gatherings. A vote would come
© John Berryman
There were strange gatherings. A vote would come
that would be no vote. There would come a rope.
Yes. There would come a rope.
Men have their hats down. "Dancing in the Dark"
will see him up, car-radio-wise. So many, some
won't find a rut to park.
Dream Song 35: MLA
© John Berryman
Hey, out there!âassistant professors, full,
associates,âinstructorsâothersâanyâ
I have a sing to shay.
We are assembled here in the capital
city for Dullâand one professor's wife is Maryâ
at Christmastide, hey!
Dream Song 69: Love her he doesn't but the thought he puts
© John Berryman
Love her he doesn't but the thought he puts
into that young woman
would launch a national product
complete with TV spots & skywriting
outlets in Bonn & Tokyo
I mean it
Dream Song 75: Turning it over, considering
© John Berryman
Turning it over, considering, like a madman
Henry put forth a book.
No harm resulted from this.
Neither the menstruating stars (nor man) was moved
at once.
Bare dogs drew closer for a second look
Dream Song 45: He stared at ruin. Ruin stared straight back
© John Berryman
He stared at ruin. Ruin stared straight back.
He thought they was old friends. He felt on the stair
where her papa found them bare
they became familiar. When the papers were lost
rich with pals' secrets, he thought he had the knack
of ruin. Their paths crossed
Dream Song 21: Some good people, daring & subtle voices
© John Berryman
Some good people, daring & subtle voices
and their tense faces, as I think of it
I see sank underground.
I see. My radar digs. I do not dig.
Cool their flushing blood, them eyes is shutâ
eyes?
Dream Song 44: Tell it to the forest fire, tell it to the moon
© John Berryman
Tell it to the forest fire, tell it to the moon,
mention it in general to the moon
on the way down,
he's about to have his lady, permanent;
and this is the worst of all came ever sent
writhing Henry's way.
Dream Song 111: I miss him. When I get back to camp
© John Berryman
I miss him. When I get back to camp
I'll dig him up. Well, he can prop & watch,
can't he, pink or blue,
and I will talk to him. I miss him. Slams,
grand or any, aren't for the tundra much.
One face-card will do.
Dream Song 98: I met a junior--not so junior--and
© John Berryman
I met a juniorânot so juniorâand
a-many others, who knew 'him' or 'them'
long ago, slightly,
whom I know. It was the usual
cocktail party, only (my schedule being strict)
beforehand.
Dream Song 79: Op. posth. no. 2
© John Berryman
Whence flew the litter whereon he was laid?
Of what heroic stuff was warlock Henry made?
and questions of that sort
perplexed the bulging cosmos, O in short
was sandalwood in good supply when he
flared out of history
Dream Song 52: Silent Song
© John Berryman
Bright-eyed & bushy tailed woke not Henry up.
Bright though upon his workshop shone a vise
central, moved in
while he was doing time down hospital
and growing wise.
He gave it the worst look he had left.
Dream Song 7: 'The Prisoner of Shark Island' with Paul Muni
© John Berryman
Henry is old, old; for Henry remembers
Mr Deeds' tuba, & the Cameo,
& the race in Ben Hur,âThe Lost World, with sound,
& The Man from Blankey's, which he did not dig,
nor did he understand one caption of,
bewildered Henry, while the Big Ones laughed.
Dream Song 54: 'NO VISITORS' I thumb the roller to
© John Berryman
'NO VISITORS' I thumb the roller to
and leans against the door.
Comfortable in my horseblanket
I prop on the costly bed & dream of my wife,
my first wife,
and my second wife & my son.
Dream Song 6: A Capital at Wells
© John Berryman
During the father's walkingâhow he look
down by now in soft boards, Henry, pass
and what he feel or no, who know?â
as during hÃs broad father's, all the breaks
& ill-lucks of a thriving pioneer
back to the flying boy in mountain air,
Dream Song 122: He published his girl's bottom in staid pages
© John Berryman
He published his girl's bottom in staid pages
of an old weekly. Where will next his rages
ridiculous Henry land?
Tranquil & chaste, de-hammocked, he descendedâ
upon which note the fable should have endedâ
towards the ground, and
Dream Song 105: As a kid I believed in democracy: I
© John Berryman
As a kid I believed in democracy: I
'saw no alternative'âteaching at The Big Place I ah
put it in practice:
we'd time for one long novel: to a voteâ
Gone with the Wind they voted: I crunched 'No'
and we sat down with War & Peace.
Dream Song 74: Henry hates the world. What the world to Henry
© John Berryman
Henry hates the world. What the world to Henry
did will not bear thought.
Feeling no pain,
Henry stabbed his arm and wrote a letter
explaining how bad it had been
in this world.
