Nicholas A. Virgilic 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
Two little girls
spinning on stools}
singing, Its tiny paws hold the child counting the same f ir e fly one acorn, and only one ever and over in this gnawing cold.
The broken hoe handle \ before the old tree,,*
that served as the scarecrow saplings in the wind and sun
holds the hobo's cloth es• practice calligraphy.
\ ■'
.The old house's e ave s In the tw ilight fie ld - whiakering with icicles: a child counts the same firefly the Chinese laundry, over and o v e r ...
In the twilight fie ld - innt a child counts the same firefjLy in the old stable - arain and again... the horse's leg twitches a fly
A butterfly A white butterfly
fanning a wilting flower bouncing on the ball diamond marking the base-line
The summer heat: A butterfly
a fluttering butterfly playing a melody on the base-liae
fanning a flower The b a ll diamond; X \ a butterfly-melody The clouded sun; follows the base-line wiping the window
she polishes her siaile My spring-cleaning neighbor These pampas plumes
waving in the autumn wind,
would a rake a tine broom Nicholas A* Virgilic 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
Heavy, summer day***
how does o The armies a scarecrows p ihe old muddy shoes
and the rusty tackle box
a hobo shouldering of my fishing youth.
The armless scarecrow
a hobo shoulders the hoe handle
and a bundle of clothes.
renting the roff of storm clouds
Crisscrossing sunbeams
renting the overcasts
city sky lin e .
The white butterfly The white butterfly
playing umbilical cord, flu tte r in g over the graveled bed,
joins mother and child imi
The white butterfly \ flu tte r in g over g ra v el,
im itates the brock Nicholas A, Virgilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
Through
the rotten owe 'The broken hoe handle The naked moon that was the scarecrow's arms, slipping out of a ragged cloud, holds the hobo's clothes* bathes in the riv e r.
/ — 1 x The hobo walks o ff xhe naked mo on with the scarecrow's arm, slipping out of the willow* and a bundle of clothes* bathes in the riv er. The armless scarecrow - r / The naked moon and the broken hoe handle
leaving the weeping willow, holding the hobo's clothes.
bathes in the riv e r. The naked moon
dropping out of the willow,
in the empty church - bathes in the river*
watching flickering candlesi The moon's bottom a quie t child. dropping out of a cloud -
the farm outhouse*
The silly frog The moon' s bottom
thinks the l i l y opens dropping out of a cloud -
to hears its scnsg the child on the chamber pot
The silly frog The armless scarecrow - thinks the water lily and hobo leaving with a new luggage stick listens to its song.
Uprooted and crashing The uprooted tree
the withered tree crashing and drifting away looked to long in the atrea,m The hoe handle
that was the scarecrow's arras, holds the hobo's clothes. i? Nicholas A* Yirgilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
Mantis
posing with
a clothes pin The hungry child, The throbbing snowy muff
for every plum i give him, ^ ‘ with bobbing pink petals
he returns a smile. are blooming rabbits.
The snowy muff
of blooming rabbits throbs
A l i l y Pink petals bobbing is the belly-button in the throbbing snowy muff of the moon. of blooming rabbits.
A gold butterfly The falling raindrop haloing the old scarecrow, heading for the moon in the lake makes him a sain t. blown on
The falling raindrop The falling raindrop heading for the pond moon heading for the moon,
blown on the l i l y . ^ The falling raindrop
heading for the moon in the pond
Bobbing pink petals blown on a lily *
a throbbing snowy stuff
The feeding rabbits Bobing / twitching pink petals, blossom i Bobbing pink petals
into a throboing staff in the throbbing snowy muff
of blooming rabbits. The falling raindrop
heading for the moon’s reflection -
blown on the l i l y
A throbbing muff The feeding rabbits... A throbbing snowy muff blooming into a throbbing mi of blooming rabbits .Nicholas A* V ir g ilic 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
Ladies viewing
t he a u t umn mo or i
plumes of pampa i f he were allowed The scarecrow looks better
this child would reach up a beggar le ft him his clothes
and hug a cloud. older and wetter.
wider and wetter That custard cloud-peak in the beggar's clothes
Crinkle, crinkle paper h a g ... The scarecrow locks better
give your puppy's tail a wag wearing the beggar's clothes; older and wetter.
The hungry child Older and wetter... wearing the beggar's clothes;
When 1 must go the scarecrow looks better.
into the autumn twilight
watch the flapping crow in the pond -
a carp's fin cuts the scarecrow's
The flapping crow The hungry child waving its s c a r f .. .playing manta ray for every plum t gave him
The cawing crow he re t u
flapping its scarf. . .playing manta ray
The flapping crow The flapping crow
playing scarf and manta ray playing cape and manta ray, f l ie s to heads for the thunderhead* These thr
My thirsty shoes Thirsty, thr
squish-squashing through the grass Thirsty, tftlr s -tp shoes
soaked up a l l the dew. squish-squashing through the grass, soak up a ll the dew. Nicholas A.’Virgilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
Bank grass
dew in the morning sun:
the dragonfly becomes pearl.
S ui_c ^ ro 0 Y 4 r k 66 The hot early autumn; The resting farme r
a prostrate squirrel panting and a jar of water
cn the shady walk. perspire in the shade
A perspiring jar Hot early autumn; of water a prostrate squirrel panting
on the shady walk. The parched famer
The. parched farmer
lifts a perpsiring jar of water ij’alae autumn A hot toms-up swan The bare horsechestnut tree playing a billowing cloud,
bobbing on the pond. The withered horse chestnut
clutching the clouded sun - A bet toms-up swan the roosting vulture. playing ostrich and cloud-peak
uiarly autumn heat; bobbing on the pond.
a prostrate squirrel pantin The napping farmer on the shady walk, and water-jar perspiring in the shade
A distant cicada I f he were allowed making haze
A billowing cloud A bet toms-up swan playing a bottoms-up swan billowing from the pond searching the pond
The shepherd-swan A billowing cloud
crooking its neck,..driving sheep playing a bottoms-up swan;
‘ from the cloudy pond. bobbing on the pend. .Nicholas A. V irg ilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
Autumn moon on the moor;
wind in plumes of pampas grass
rooms of hoar k 3warm of gnats the panting squirrel cool
making dusk Early autumn;
the panting squirrel on the shady walk The cross on the hill cools its belly. casts a shadow on
The cross on the h i ll
casts ate shadow on the fields Early autumns 4 the fallen scarecrow. the panting squirrel in the shade
cools its belly.
The cross on the h i l l
oasts its shadow on the snows
the fallen soar©crow. The panting squirrel
X prostrate on the shady walk, ; cools its belly.
The cross on the h i l l
\ casting its shadow on snow; The prostrate squirrel the fa llen scarecrow. panting on the shady walk,
cools its belly.
The flowery frost
blooming on the window,
pales the chrysanthemums
The flowery frost The f 1 ovi e r y fr o a t
"blooming on the window blooming on the windowpane,
pales c pales chrysanthemums.
The aut umn w ind Early autumn;
mixes the leaves and litte r a prostrate squirrel pants
of feuding neighbors. on the shady walk. Nicholas A. V ir g ilio 1092 Niagara Hoad Camden 4, Hew Jersey
Gliding greyly
over the b rid g e ...
the sound of gulls l In the river In the river -
the black cloud gives birth the autumn moon
to the autman moon. leaves the black cloud behind
The even
In the river - livening cools
the black thunderhead gives birth the moon cooks and fumes
to the autumn me on. in the bubbling peel
in the river -
the r umbling t hunderhe ad
In the river -
the billowing cloud gives birth
to the autumn moon.
a bj
A butterfly
stringing an umbilical cord
X A white butterfly \ % •A white butterfly / strings an umbilical cord strings an umbilical cord / from mother to ch ild. from a ripe melon. 7
The bubbling peels The evening cools a cicada turns o ff the heat, a melon nudges the moon and the evening cools • Nicholas A. V ir g ilio 1092 Niagara Hoad Camden 4, New Jersey
An iceberg of suds
billow ing across the Green scum on the pond... As the cicada the ripples4 core: a carp su c turns o ff the heat, a locust
winds up the long day. /Green scum on the pend...
the ripp les' core: a carp suckin,
in the hot copper sun. The evening cool:
a cicada turns off the heat The green scummy pond...
ripples' core: a carp sucking a cicada turns off the heat in the hot copper sun.
hy the twilight peel A green scummy pond...
the ripples' core; a carp sucking The evening cool: in the hot copper sun. a cicada turns off the heat v
by the bubbling pool. Green scum on the pond...
Ey the bubbling peel the r ip p le ’ s core; a carp sucking-
a cicada turns o ff the heat, in the hot copper sun.
and the evening cools.
The evening cools in t he r ive r - a cicada turns off the heat coming out of a black clouds by the bubbling peel* t the autumn moon.
The green scunsay pon d... in the river - ripples' cores a carp sucking the autumn moon wrenches its rhyme in the copper sun from a black cloud.
Green scum on the pond... In the river - the ripples’ s ' the autumn moon leaves the womb \ Green scum on the pond... \ cf a black cloud, the ripp les' core: a sucking carp
hot copper sun Nick Virgilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden, N*J» 08104
Down the dark road they go
hlossoms-wind-leaves Down in the cella r In the shuttered house
where three shrews used to fight
How the lamp is l i t the quiet moonlight
Through the empty house
The scarecrow^ shadow where shrews used to scream and figfc
increasing in the evening sun Through the empty house measures the meadow where shrews used to scream and fight
the quiet moonlight• An autumn morning
V crossing the railroad tracks? Through the shuttered house flushing morning doves. where shrews used scream at midnight
the quiet moonlight. The short night ends
in the city cemetery Through the empty house a gold casket descends. / where shrews used to scream at midnight
In the empty house the quiet moonlight.
where shrews used tc fight at midnight
the quiet moonlight
.’he funeral train The autumn moonlight carries Lincoln*s coffin has quieted the empty house through the midnight rain where shrews used to fight
The last persimmon Where shrews used to fight luring a racoon on a limb; in the empty house at midnight the autumn moon. the quiet moonlight
blooming mimosa & . >» little brother’s grave and the afterglow beyond covered with linden leaves* the autumn wind. / Nicholas A. Virgilio 1092 Niagara Road. Camden, N*J* 08104
The autumn moon -
a wrecker*s b a ll shadows
the tenement wall*
The deserted beach;
receding surf reveals
a squirming eelet. Now the chimes are s t i l l •*-ike the tumble-down house
nylons on the clothesline surrounded by
ripple in the "breeze By the tumble-down house climb the surrounded by fireflies;
a crumbling sk u ll* pet cemetery
The empty arena
a puddle o f blood
r e fle c ts the autumn moon*
The empty mailbox
w ailing in the autumn wind
The empty farmhouse:
The old empty house;
a rusty mailbox
wails in the cold v/ind*
f The old empty house
at dusk, a rusty mailbox
wails in the cold wind*
The summer night freeze
has blownaa white b u tte rfly
out o f the pine tr e e s . Nicholas A• Virgilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4 , New Jersey
lone white shirt
hanging still from the clothes-line:
the gathering storm# A Woman's Plan let's talk about psychological guinea pigs and woman who play games with the telephone and th eir men who le t them believe they are being fooled by busy sig n a ls
l e t 's go into the laboratory
on your right
is Pavlov's dog whose tongue shriveled dry Lovers make poor psychological guinea pigs from hanging and w aiting for the b e ll
that never rings and th e r e 's the poor poet who drained of his poems
soaks in formaldehyde
-there on the blackboard
The master plan
That I knew a l l a lon g. Nicholas A. Virgilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, Nev/ Jersey
Is it inspecting
the b e lie f terf s blades
darti dragonfly A bullfrog croaks, H in the sunlit room - and the swollen river chokes on a rock
a dusty sewing machine; in its neck. it is dead, too*
1y i d A
it :is gene , t o o . .. The crescent moon her sewing machine' s leg-marks brushed by the eyelash on the dusty flo o r . of a wave•
After the storm,
the swollen river chokes on a rock
in its neck.
Orange Ball in clouds...
sittin g like a baby
with its bottom out.
The clouded Orange Ball
is sitting like a baby
with its bottom out.
Rising from the misty w ood...
the breast of the mountain touches
a billowing cloud.
Thumbing the comb
silencing a cricket Nicholas A. Virgilic 1092 Niagara Read. Camden 4, New Jersey
It saw the eagle
in the eyes of morning dew.
scamne'f'ing rahhit. These martini moments
a tall woman's martini nonents
Martini moments
ami le
an afternoon of matini moments
Those martini moments
of fall warm
The cold wind,
alone with martini moments,
and memories.
The cold wind - S alone, martini mome nts
and memories*
A cicada cries, and a horsefly on the sill wrings its hands Nicholas A, V ir g ilic 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
In the morning mist,
1 he ar my name'v Neek'" 1 Reek l Reek l
¥es, Mister Blue Jay ? The snow drifts eastward, A cicada cries,
and the shadow of the pine and the linden's crown
lengthens cn the snow* A cicada cries,
The snow drifts eastward, and the crown of the linden
and the shadow of the pine
lengthens in the sun* D riftin g wfhitely
from a mountain of melons*. A The snow drifts eastward,
and the shadow of the pine a f i le d . —^lengthens on the field. A mountain of melons, and a perfect moon.
The snow drifts eastward, A perfect moon, and the shadow of the pine and the monk finishes building lengthens afield. a mountain of melons.
W/j$7777////7777X The old monk iDoints, and the moon
The snow drifts eastward,
and the shadow of the scarecrow
lenghthens a fie ld . The old monk points, and a perfect moon tops
the snow drifts eastward, a mountain of melons.
and the shadow of the scarecrow odTfjf lengthens afield.
heath the clothes-line, heath the cloth es-lin e, the shadow of a sheet she waves on the paving* Nicholas A, Virgilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
Each stroke of the hell
darken^, the calligraphy
on the wall of the cell, / x / \ Drifting whitely, The risin g moon,
and a milkweed seed in the fie ld
wafts on the west wind. Drifting whitely
from the mount
Drifting whitely
from the tumbling mountain of melons.
the sound of the moon.
A plover alights,
and a milkweed seed in the fie ld The rising moon, wafts on the west wind. and a h orsefly in the fie ld
races a milkweed seed.
in the falling snow,
Drifting whitel the face of night is drawn
to a lone headlight.
Drifting silverly
over the spreading s u r f ... the weary traveler bends the sound of the moon. into the blast
The traveler bends,
A billowing cloud, and the willow by the lake
and a horsefly in the fie ld straightens in the storm.
races a milkweed seed.
A fisherman bends,
and a willow by the lake The risin g moon, straightens in the storm. and the Nicholas A. Virgilic 2092 .Niagara Read Camden 4, New Jersey
The long read:
walking with rayself
the summer heat. cattail mops dry in the withered marsh
in the river -
a rotten piling periscopes, An eagle dives, and submerges... and a skylark from the fie ld
Orbiting moonlet...
A eagle dives, round and round a bubble
and a skylark from the fie ld on the co ffe e .
soars in a sunbeam.
An eagle dives,
and a skylark from the fie ld The river falls, rises... scoars in a sunbeam.
The river rises,falls...
a gull on a piling On the hot c o f f e e ...
stands on the water. a bubble
The old monk bends down,
The river rises, and the autumn moon fa lls
and a gull on a p ilin g on a lone mushroom. I stands on the water.
i jL /M fL /H i
In the river -
a rottenn Nicholas A. Virgilic 1092 Niagara Hoad Camden 4, New Jersey
A skylarkN^oars -
tlie butter:£I& scores its song
upojQ^fhe wind, A skyscrapers
and autumn sunsets a fa cto ry ’ s window» fire to its eyes. have fire in their eyes.
Au t umn afterglow ;
higher and higher, the building
has fire inits eyes.
The river darkens,
and the autumn sunsets fire Autumn afterglowi to the factory eyes. a building, higher and higher,
has fire in its eyes.
The river darkens,
and the autumn sunsets fire
Aut umn af t ergl ow: tc the fa cto ry ’ s eyes.
the stone dragon by the gate
has fire in its eyes.
In the withered marsh,
ca tta il mops dry in the sun In the evening sun, - / the strike-bound factory
has fire in its eyes. The dewert in the sky,
and the spreading surf covers
The autumn moon, the rippled sand.
and the many lamp glebes in the park
are light Nicholas A• Virgilio 1092 Niagara Read Caraden 4, New Jersey
A flapping crow
carries a pretzel in its beak
into the blinding sun. The deep night grove - rape lighting a candle; a grape mother and suckling. skin it
down
ju icy round
gulp
the pulp
hut fir s t
spit the p it . Nicholas A, Virgilio 10 92 Niagara Hoad. Camden 4, New Jersey
The deep night groves
a mother and suckling
in candleglow* The deep night grove...
A bass in the garden p o o l.,, crowding a lone candle,
swallowing a 3 tar, holding mother and ch ild. missing a firefly.
A squirrel on the moor...
wind on the icy swamp... loping by the pampas grass,
sharpening reeds, waving its plume. tearing a muskrat house /E A squirrel on the m oor... \ 1 > ti loping by the pampas grass, Evening sun on the la k e ... rousing a couched boar. coloring clcuds of silt, y * ....~. Autumn evening sun...
Evening sun on the la k e ... spreading on the lake, \ dyeing billowing clouds dyeing a billowing cloud. V
Autumn evening sun, A billowing cloud... flooding the empty factory windows, filling a puddle, spreading on the r iv e r . floating a sailboat.
Cherry blossom s...
A leaping tiger... fa llin g on the pavement,
catching the morning sun, lying among large rainsdrcps.
shadowing a zebra.
Cherry blossom s...
lying on the sidewalk, \ V Spattered by rain drops Nicholas A. Virgilio 10 92 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
she stood there
and waited
in the cradle
( and even before that
not aware
that she waited
in the schoolyard
the classroom
at home
in the car
anywhere
everywhere The deep night grove f The lake under the bridge... slipping over the dam,
The deep night grove - frothing
of a sudden, candieglow
on a table * The k
'The lake under the bridge.**
The autumn moon in the la hanging its forked tongue over the
The autumn moon in the la k e ;,,
laboring, as if with child...
s t i l l in the shallc¥/s . The lake under the b r id g e ...
hanging a forked tongue over the dam,
frothing, like a mad dog. The swelling lake...
melding the autumn moon
The swollen lake uder the bridge 'The deep night grove:
mother and babe The swollen lake under the bridge... in candleglow. hanging a forked tongue over the dam, / frothing, like a mad dog.' The deep night grove:
her babe reaches
in candleglow.
\
Thunderheads banner
over the twilight wood:
a convention of crows. Nicholas A* Yirgilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
come come to the grove
my love
sit with me
hy the lake
touch the flesh
of waters
soft
sc soft the swells
of my heart
my love my lake A f i r e f l y in the twilight swamp*.*
passing a distant tower lig h t,
fading in a cloud of gnats.
A firefly in the twilight swamp., A distant tower light passing below a tower lig h t, fading with a firefly fades in a cloud of gnats.
A distant tower light A fi r e f l y in the twilight swamp*•• beyond the tw ilight swamp, glaring below a tower ligh t, fades with a firefly. fading in a cloud of gnats.
A distant tower light A sunfisla over a pebbled nest... beyond the twilight swamp, darting from a bass, fades like a firefly. stirring a cloud of silt.
A distant tower light fades
beyond the twilight swamp -
a glaring firefly.
The tower light fades
beyond the twilight swamp -
a glaring firefly
The tower light fades
beyond the twilight swamp, Nicholas A. Virgilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
The deep night grove:
a mother and suckling
in candleglow. The deep night grove: The deep night grove
a mother and suckling,
hy candieglow
The deep night grove -
suddenly, a lone candle’ s glow Pitch balck night
August moon: Pitch black night a s ittin g monk
on the melon-mountain
The deep night grove -
of a sudden, a lone candle’ s glow
cn her and the suckling.
The deep night grove - The deep night grove - a lone candle’ s glow: candleglow of a sudden: mother and suckling mother and suckling.
H The deep night grove - The deep night grove -
of a sudden, candleglow; of a sudden, candleglow
mother and suckling. betrays the autumn wind.
Ofa sudden,
Ofa Ufa Of a sudden
in the deep night grove - The deep night grove - candleglow. of a sudden, candleglow:
a company of faces. Nicholas A. Virgilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
The deep night grove;
a mother and suckling
in candle ;low. Au t umn af t e r gl ow
stretching between golden maples:
cobweb-mosaic.
an asp sp illed the spout s p ills
from the spout an asp
and slithered slithers down
down the gutter the gutter,
a serpent slips out
and swallows its brother
Chilling windy trauma, devoured by another
or cavorting phantom fauna...
Tree, what makes you nervous ?
an asp
s p ills an asp sp ills from the spout from the spout and slithers down the gutter, a serpent slip s out swallows its brother:
devoured by another - a monster without Nicholas A. Virgilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
The vulture of night
drapes the rigor mortised limhs
of the horse chesnut. The deep night grove
Chrome in the blinding sun - .
rain on the dusty windshield A deep night grove:
and my glasses. the autumn wind
is a lone candle
H M d ]vj Spxd-ng oversa,3 1 - The deep night grove: its heart with the hawk - a tiny candle but the k it e -s t r in g ...
Into the blinding sun -
a flapping crow
with a pretzel in its beak.
Autumn evening sun;
an empty fa cto ry ’ s windows
the glittering river.
Autumn evening sun V41 floods the empty fa cto ry ’ s windows
the g litte rin g riv er.