Riders on the Storm

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa

A giant insect reels under me.  Whilst this goes away, the symphony of nature's god cataclysm goes on

And I dream of an Antarctic whirling snow, blasted reefs and cracked Cthulhu gongs, antediluvian ice monsters, plateau far off of Leng and crooked teeth pulled with a huge explosion from the rocket floor.  Grey brick and tenement rotten face, blind eyes sunken, blue lips and grey-splattered white vein cheeks, pupils revolting in the ghost wolves running softly,  the tongue swallowing the absolute wastes.

Moist, Victorian castle leaf garden raindrop wind butte steppe-racing horse flying mane in the breeze, howling ancient windgods beneath the ColumbiaGorge, cascading anubis flattened area heaving river and campus dropdrain imbecile canals on Mars, trembling, bobbling moron head with bright green eyelids, collapsed cheeks and hollow laughter rolling over the first rocks on earth, a joke designed by God, his flushed face shaking with worn pockets, on his throne with a twelve-eyed lamb, the vegetable immediately unfolding in the copper-coloured sky.  Adam and Eve hierosgamos ivy gaping dark shuttered woods, spirit shelter elephantine organic intestinal oceanic underneath lightning bursts of orange steam, testicle green-matted idol under tropical antique unknown and unguessed SUN.

JF 1985

Published in The Worker Poet 11,  1987, published by Michael R. Hill, Franklin, Pennsylvania.

Rumpus Room

Culture War

Photograph of my great-great-great uncle, Adalbert Falk (one, but not the only one, of the people after whom this blog was named). I can see a certain physical resemblance to a few relatives.

Here is a brief biography of the man, taken from the Wikipedia entry, itself taken from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.

"Paul Ludwig Adalbert Falk (10 August 1827 – July 7, 1900) was a German politician. Falk was born at Metschkau (Mieczków), Silesia. In 1847 he entered the Prussian state service, and in 1853 became public prosecutor at Lyck (Ełk). In 1858 he was elected a deputy, joining the Old Liberal party. In 1868 he became a privy-councillor in the ministry of justice. In 1872 he was made minister of education, and in connection with Otto von Bismarck's policy of the Kulturkampf he was responsible for the May Laws or Falk Laws against the Catholics. In 1879 his position became untenable, owing to the death of Pope Pius IX and the change of German policy with regard to the Vatican, and he resigned his office, but retained his seat in the Reichstag until 1882. He was then made president of the supreme court of justice at Hamm, where he died in 1900."

Railroad Nocturne

A stander, cremains, clairvoyant wanes

Jung's crisper a sigil infarction remains

Outside Venus' transit sextant zenith sliced in space
of remote kneecaps a lone motorcyclist shivers the lanes.

Scotch broom huffs, rains, shade through lace
Waste piles humble, awake vision to arctic range,
Eclipse koto partial longest shortest days of the night year, rings of spruce chant humble,
Deranged Denali and Hood over suburban neon and melange.

JF  8 June 2012

Image: The Race Track (Death on a Pale Horse), by Albert Pinkham Ryder

Saint Sebastian by Alfred Courmes

Card sent from my father to me when he was in Paris, with a painting by the surrealist painter Alfred Courmes; I can't quite decipher the Parisian postmark but the second one it received stateside is dated 5 January 1987, Richmond, California.

Text: Dear J, Spent most o'day in the Georges Pompidou Museum which is in a rather startling bldg w large curved ventilators, enclosed plastic walkways, escalators & various other machinery all on the outside of the bldg. Many of the large steel girders are visible. There are no exterior walls but nonetheless it is a good modern art museum wi Dali and other greats. To fully appreciate the picture one must have seen the dozens of other St Sebastian pictures all over Europe, most wi a vapid expression. I laughed heartily on seeing this one. Its getting cold here and looks like snow-ice on water standing (?) Tried to get in the Henri IV hostel which is on an isle but was full so am in the famous hostel which serves a piece of bread and bowl of coffee for brkfst. Its not too bad though -- heard about it from some German kids elsewhere. Have a good room-mate John who is to start his career as a doctor in England in a couple weeks -- also some other nice types and a rather dubious Moroccan Arab. Came on nite train nonstop from Barcelona to Paris and was rather groggy on arriving. Its nice here tho. Good food & charming. Dad

Lagos de Moreno Cathedral

Thanks to Rob from Amersfoort for identifying the cathedral on this stereoscopic card as the one in Lagos de Moreno, Mexico!  I'm not clear if the first letter in "Lagos" in the caption is a misprinted "S" or an antique "L."