Man Is In Pain

by

Philip Lamantia


Man is in pain

ten bright balls bat the air

falling through the window

on which his double leans a net the air made

to catch the ten bright balls


Man is a room

where the malefic hand turns a knob

on the unseen unknown double's door


Man is in pain

with his navel hook caught on a stone quarry

where ten bright balls chose to land

AND where the malefic hand carves

on gelatinous air THE WINDOW

to slam shut on his shadow's tail


ten bright balls bounce into the unseen

unknown double's net

Man is a false window

through which his double walks to the truth

that falls as ten bright balls

the malefic hand tossed into the air

Man is in pain

ten bright spikes nailed to the door


(1952)



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