The Requirements for the Degree Of
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TASSAJARAKEEN Creative Work submitted to the faculty of 2^ ^ i San Francisco State University *n P31^ fulfiUment ° f *P — — The requirements for The degree of Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing / Poetry by John Walter Darrow San Francisco California copyright by John Walter Darrow 2019 CERTIFICATION OF APPROVAL I certify that I have read Tassajara Keen by John Walter Darrow, and that in my opinion this work meets the criteria for approving a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree: Master of Fine Arts: Creative Writing / Poetry at San Francisco State University. Paul Hoover Professor of Creative Writing Maxine ChemofF Professor of Creative Writing TASSAJARAKEEN John Walter Darrow San Francisco California 2019 13.7 billion years ago a singularity of infinite density exploded. All that now exists began its inexorable rush outward from that point. Approximately 379,000 years after that event the expanding universe began to accrete in places and separate in others. The slower bits fell together under the pull of gravity to form matter, while the fast bits continued to radiate at undiminished speed. It's been like that ever since. We are some of the results of all that bumping and radiating, but essentially nothing has changed. The universe and all its parts are the grand map of an explosion in progress. We are a brief arrangement of some of those parts. Radiation lights our way, reflected, refracted, dim and scattered. Six degrees below the horizon at dawn and dusk our sun offers a civil twilight, enough to see by but not too much to blind. Here is some of what I've seen. I certi: stract is a correct representation of the content of this thesis. ' {Aftru • Professor Paul Hoover, Chair, Thesis Committee Date TABLE OF CONTENTS Begging Strangers for a Ride.............................................................................................. 1 South Coast Highway.............................................................................................2 Big Sur Hot Springs Inn 1966.................................................................................3 Boar Hunters ..........................................................................................................5 The Goat House......................................................................................................7 Robert Stops Time..................................................................................................8 Snakes................................................................................................. 10 Time in County..................................................................................................... 11 Rabbits.................................................................................................................. 12 Amy in Cairo......................................................................................................... 13 Washoe County 1966............................................................................................ 15 Shotgun................................................................................................................. 17 Sabong Jesus of Tagaytay.....................................................................................21 OCW — Manila sa Tokyo....................................................................... 24 Sampaguita Girl....................................................................................................25 Tweakers skin Bambi in the driveway..................................................................26 Motel on Route 66...................................................................... *,.27 Going on 14...........................................................................................................28 North Beach, Cafe Trieste.....................................................................................29 Central Missouri 1965 30 A Place to Rest......................................................................................................34 Bach on Muni........................................................................................................36 Waiting on the Owl................. 37 Haight & Central...................................................................................................38 Judah Beach ........................................................................................................40 Going on 14...........................................................................................................41 The Widow’s Gone Riding....................................................................................42 Getting in the Door....................................................:......................................... 43 Visiting Madrone..................................................................................................44 Downbeat..........................................................................................................................45 Erie........................................................................................................................46 Waking Rude.........................................................................................................47 j|l it. ^ H (The Firebombing of Tokyo)...................................................48 Eschatology...........................................................................................................50 Cleromancy...........................................................................................................51 Lost over Idaho.............................................................................................,.......52 v Thoracic Stigmata #1 / pre-surgical prayer........................................................... 53 Thoracic Stigmata #2 / cutting into an open heart................................................ 54 Thoracic Stigmata #3 / post-surgical notes........................................................... 55 Ben Lomond Boys ............................................................................................57 Utopian Turtletop.................................................................................................. 58 kind of a riddle / kind of a charm.......................................................................... 59 Solstitial Racket....................................................................................................60 Wikihow: the float ...............................................................................................61 The Landlord.........................................................................................................62 Starting Work ..................................................................................................63 Loose Acetylene................................................................................................ ....64 Before the Wind....................................................................................................65 XOXO...............................................................................................................................66 The Art of No.................................................................................................... ....67 Alchemical Generation.........................................................................................68 Fixing up the Place................................................................................................69 Zippo..................................................................................................................... 70 Partially Wrapped..................................................................................................71 Glowworms ................................................................................................... 72 Mannequin Hermeneutics..................................................................................... 73 Button.................................................................................................................... 74 Grazing..................................................................................................................75 Lemon Buttercream..............................................................................................76 The Red Pony........................................................................................................77 The Slicky Boys....................................................................................................78 Restraint................................................................................................................80 Remington Pump..................................................................................................81 Patience is Overrated ........................................................................................... 82 After the Fall ........................................................................................................83 My Bent Angel......................................................................................................84 Family / the Gift................................................................................................................85 Kathleen's Birthday...............................................................................................86 Katn Disembarks..................................................................................................