Words of My Father

4/16/70

Credits:
Technique–John Giorno
Material–other sources

In contrast to
older drugs
In contrast to older drugs
In contrast
to older drugs,
modern medical
agents
modern medical agents
have increased
pharmacological activity
have increased pharmacological activity
and therapeutic
effectiveness
and therapeutic effectiveness
In contrast to older drugs
modern medical agents
havce increased pharmacological activity
and therapeutic effectiveness
Concomittantly
they also have
Concomittantly they also have
greater potential
greater potential
for harmful
effect
for harmful effect
greater potential for harmful effect
potential for harmful effect
harmful effect
effect effect

Caution: cigarette smoking
cigarette smoking may be
hazardous
hazardous to your
health
to your health
Caution: cigarette smoking may be
Caution: cigatette smoking may be hazardous
hazardous to your
Caution: cigarette smoking
cigarette smoking may be
Cuation: hazardous
Caution: to your
Caution: Caution:
Caution: may be
hazardous
to your cigarette smoking
may be
your health Caution:
to your cigarette smoking may
be hazardous Caution:
Caution: health
may be cigarette smoking
to your Caution:
Caution:

The physician
The physician must have
reliable reference
The physician must have reliable reference
to the beneficial
effects
to the beneficial effects
of modern
drugs
of modern drugs
to the beneficial effects of modern drugs
and their untoward
reactions
and their untoward reactions
The physician must have reliable reference
reference
to the beneficial effects of modern drugs
of modern drugs
and their untoward reactions
reactions
if he is to
select
if he is to select
medications
if he is to select medications
medications that promise
that promise maximum
therapeutic effect
maximum therapeutic effect
and minimum
adverse action
and minimum adverse action
maximum therapeutic effect and minimum adverse action
adverse action
action
The physician
The physician must have
reliable reference

preparation H
preparation H
shrinks your
hemorrhoids
shrinks your hemorrhoids
without
surgery
without surgery
without surgery
preparation H shrinks your hemorrhoids
hemorrhoids
preparation hemorrhoids
shrinks your H
without preparation
surgery H shrinks your hemorrhoids
preparation shrinks your H
without surgery
Caution: hemorrhoids may be hazardous
to your preparation
without preparation surgery shrinks
Caution: your H may be hazardous to hemorrhoids
preparation may be surgery to your Caution:

4/16/70

“It is my
fervent hope
“It is my fervent hope
that I will be
adopted
that I will be adopted
by the American
people
by the American people
and be
able
and be able
to follow
to follow follow
follow
in my
father’s
footsteps footsteps
footsteps,”
says Marcel Cerdan
Jr.
says Marcel Cerdan, Jr.,
who will fight
soon
who will fight soon
in Madison Sq.
Garden
In Madison Sq. Garden.

Sewn into
Marcel’s
sewn into Marcel’s
boxing trunks
boxing trunks
trunks trunks
is the St. Therese
medal
is the St. Therese medal
given to
him
given to him
by Edith
Piaf
by Edith Piaf
his father’s
mistress
his father’s mistress.

Marcel
prefers
Marcel prefers
not to be
known
not to be known
as
“Junior.”
as “Junior.”
“Junior.”
“Junior.”
“Junior.”

4/15/70

Nixon
Nixon is briefed
is briefed
Nixon is briefed
on the Midesat
crisis
on the Mideast crisis
crisis

4/11/70

put it in
take it out
put it in
take it out
put it in
take it out
put it
take it
in
out
in
out
that’s what this life
is all about

who are you touting
in the human race?
why are you shouting
about the pace?

class will tell
what the hell
class will
tell

4/11/70

the swallows
are flocking to Capistrano
the guzzles
are grouping at the Ginza

oh, the harbinger of doom,
whither art thou
now?

why am i
so goggle eyed
and cheery
when the weather
has turned
so bleary?

the world
is coming to a continuing

4/16/70

Chickens are lousy.
Geese aren’t much better.
Ducks suck.
Hogs are better than dogs,
Slightly.
Fish stink.
Monkeys are hard to come by.
Antelopes are sort of shy.
The rest are hardly worth a peep,
Except for sheep.
But, as any wild bull of the Pampas will tell you,
Llamas are better than lambs.

4/14/70

last night i was a brick
staring at all the bricks
in the wall across the street
they all looked alike
like faces in a mob

if all the bricks
in all the walls
were to fall in december
all the king’s horses
and all the king’s men
would freeze their balls off

4/15/70

“Morning.”
           “Morning.”
“Nice day.”
           “Sure is.            I bet
          you want something to get you started in spinach.”
“Nope, Garlic.”
           “Garlic?”
“Garlic.”

                    (The storekeeper disappears
                    into the dark recesses of his hardware store.
                    Returns with a small package. Smiles.)

“Now, if it’s garlic you want…”

4/9/70

                    There is no past
He said.            And i cried,
Losing control of my bladder.
My bowels and my identity.

                     There is no future
He said.            And I sighed,
Excited by the heightened awareness
Of my senses.

                     There is no present
He said.          And i died.