The unconscious disclosed language,
the asubjective phenomenology:
the blackened page vegetal;
Trotsky’s Lenin in the form dream.
We came up Whittier Narrows
in the alley where art workers
practice rah-rah increasing nihil.

Dis moi la verité.  Sick joy,
unified at last, we were the same hair god,

hold hard hurt anyone coming
back this way, foci of origin
fired unexpected political innovations
in every direction.

—————————A certain cavelike
coolness scorchingly danced
with the French Republic.
Our treasures turned avalanche
express menu items. Tinariwen.

*

David Lau is the author of the book of poems Virgil and the Mountain Cat (University of California Press).   He co-edits Lana Turner: a Journal of Poetry and Opinion and teaches writing at UC Santa Cruz and Cabrillo College.