Buddha Brimstone Be Bop
Jennifer Birkett
dPress
2007
Sebastopol
48 pp hand sewn

Cover art by S. Mutt

Buddha Brimstone Be Bop

I am Babylon.
My silent body
breathing mind.
is a babbling tongue
I am brimstone in Baghdad.
I am bombs that hurt people.
I am the rapture - elevator to paradise.
Imam. Priest. Prophet. Prostitute. Puritan.
prayers poking this way and that.
Looking for a target.
I am yr prayers to gods who hear everything and do nothing
I am apocalypse -Undressing what is hidden.
strip show go go go girl I am
the womb and I am the tomb
I am you who come in between
unseen
horton hears a who
I am exiled, persecuted, dead in
concentration camp. By firing squad.
Water board in torture chamber.
I am pain.
I am doom. Boom boom. I leave you here. Broken.
Doing sandpaper rubbings on scars .
Something's gonna happen. Nothings gonna happen.
I am alone in the ocean of death
i share feelings with all beings
I sing behind bars
I am a bird whose tracks in sky are invisible
I go to heaven without dying
I am dying in hell
I am the book of revelations I go to the desert
and wait and nothing happens.
I am the body of Buddha I go to the beach
sun is hot. I want shade. Where is Bodhi tree?
Palm tree
Waves break on beach.
either way
sand everywhere
I wear white robes and wings and fly around
I wear black robes and face white walls.
I'm not coming home. I'm always home.
I call god a fake and wait for world to shake
Buddha ain't much better - boring boy. Just sit.
I live. Waiting for something to happen
nothing happens.
I'm hungry. I already ate.
Humming bird zooms in for nectar on deck
Angels are coming.
Angels are going
Rusty armor. Crusades are crusty.
Crows caw
Women in black burkhas cuddle Koran.
God is great.
My life is different from any one else.
My life is same as everyone else.
dancing in stick land
Walking in land of Styx
Crossing over.
Always here.
nothing is broken
its all a wreck
lick lick
I step into light. It is dark.
I step into dark. It is light. Luminous dark.
bark bark at the ark
I am She who keeps you waiting. I am she who is always here
God hates me. I see the
Bars all around his prison. world.
I know you. I forget you.
i want to know what happens next
faith fumbles
I am the dead that rise up
It's the first call. Gabriel blowing trumpet.
six more calls then too late.
Shutup. Your trumpet needs a mute
I am the beast. I am the beauty.
I am the second coming. I never left.
I never come
I am sheik, rabbi, god, imam, priest -
I am the common heart
i touch the place in each heart that knows
what feels
I give you one last chance to save yourself.
for what? From what?
for later.
What is happening right now?
Wow! leaves on trees turning golden
birds flying south
in formations.
I am the Simpson's and South Park - in the bible and koans & Koran
I am promised paradise. Virgins all the time. Something to do. With girls.
I am your silent god
Your sanctuary. prayer.
I transform yr hair into sacred trees and
perform rituals with leaves and flowers
rest
at the bottom of this tree,
be blessed
by a falling leaf
I am creation. Shakti putt putt. Power girl
Vishnu, Shiva, Indra, Agni,
Moon, Sun, Death. Fire. Air.
I am Martha Stewart cutting pumpkins the perfect way
I am this earth holding all beings
inhabiting it.
I am the artic melting and polar bears drowning
i am the ice age.
I am the top of food chain and i am the one eaten
I am the walrus
I am revenge. I am Steve Irwin crocodile hunter
I am stingray who puts a barb thru his heart.
I am crocodiles stalking away with upset faces.
then
we die
I am bones scattered all around
spread out blood organs skin
spread out mess
Sept 20 /06 take 1
I am the broken buddha of Babylon.
My silent body breathing mind.
inseparable from babbling tongues
I am brimstone in Baghdad. My speech is bombs that hurt people.
Explosive sound and emptiness inseparable.
Buddha blisters
into bodhicitta - well being for all beings
I am the rapture - ecstatic joy. Elevator to paradise.
Imam. Priest. Prophet. Prostitute. Puritan. prayers poking this way and that.
Looking for a target.
Joy and emptiness inseparable.
i am apocalypse -Undressing what is hidden.
strip show go go go girl I am
the womb and I am the tomb
you who come in between
are a scene unseen
awareness and emptiness inseparable
horton hears a who
strewel peter lights a match
mary mary is quite contrary until she sees a flower bloom
red rose roll over in the clover rover
Pinocchio's long nose sniffing
fee fi foe fum i smell the blood of an english man
Fah!
I am exiled, persecuted, dead in
Concentration camp. By firing squad. Water board in torture chamber. Electric wires on genitals. Buzzz pssssssst
I am pain.
I am doom. Boom boom. I leave you here. Broken.
Doing sandpaper rubbings on scars that never felt a wound.
Something's gonna happen. Nothings gonna happen.
I am Rapture I transport you to another sphere of existence.
when you ae doing laundry
I am Heaven just before the Apocalypse.
I am bliss buddha on bunny slope
I am hippy smoking dope
I am alone in the ocean of death that separates us
i share feelings with all beings
I sing behind bars
I am a bird who's tracks in sky are unknowable
I go to heaven without dying
I am dying in hell
as you pray to yr gods who hear everything and do nothing
I curse the raptors who eat me up.
Meanwhile, vultures in India dying from eating cows fed Volatren
steroid anti-inflammatory to treat fever.
Kills birds. Who eat cows
Mu
I am the book of revelations I go to the desert
and don't eat and wait and nothing happens.
I am the body of buddha I go to the beach
sun is hot. I want shade. Where is bodhi tree?
Palm tree
Waves break on beach.
either way
sand everywhere
I wear white robes and wings and face is darkness
I wear black robes and face white walls.
I'm not coming home. I'm always home.
Waiting for elevator
I call god a fake and wait for world to shake
Buddha ain't much better - boring boy. Just sit.
then
we die
bones all around
spread them out all over the ground
blood organs skin
senses
spread out mess
I live. Waiting for something to happen
nothing happens.
i'm hungry. I already ate.
Humming bird zooms in for nectar on deck
Angels are coming.
Angels are going
Rusty armor. Crusades are crusty.
Crows caw
Women in black burkhas cuddle Koran.
god is great.
My life is different from any one else.
My life is same as everyone else.
dancing in stick land
Walking in land of Styx
Crossing over.
Always here.
nothing is broken
its all a wreck
lick lick
I step into light. It is dark.
I step into dark. It is light. Luminous dark.
bark bark at the ark
I am She who keeps you waiting. I am she who is always here
God hates me.
Bars all around his / her prison. world.
I know you. I forget you.
God forgives all yr sins
who forgives god?
the living outlive the dead.
The dead rise up
It's the first call. Gabriel blowing trumpet.
six more calls then too late.
Shutup. Your trumpet needs a mute
three strikes. Yr out.
I give you one last chance to save yourself.
for what? From what?
Save yourself for later.
i want to know what happens next
faith fumbles
what happens next?
What is happening right now?
Wow! leaves on trees turning golden
birds flying south
in formations.
so. If world is coming to an end
this isn't the place to be
lets go
where?
I am the beast. I am the beauty.
I am the second coming. I never left.
I never come
I am sheik, rabbi, god, imam, priest -
I am the common heart
i touch the place in each heart that knows
what feels
I am the Simpsons and South park - in the bible and koans & koran
be with what is. Working at nuclear reactor. George Simpson. South Park alien probe up ass
and they hate Enya music.
i am promised paradise. Virgins all the time. Something to do. With girls.
I say fuck all your god stories and buddha stories
have your god in silence.
sanctuary. prayer.
i'm confused sometimes
don't know what's going to happen.
And i'm okay wtih that
lets hold hands and bob heads
bobbing for apples
Your hair will transform into sacred trees and
we will perform rituals
with leaves and flowers
chief vegetation. All sacred pilgrimages will rest
at the bottom of this tree,
waiting to be blessed by a falling leaf
I am creation. Shakti putt putt. Power girl
Shakti creates the world. Vishnu, Shiva, Indra, Agni,
Moon, Sun, Death
I am Martha Stewart cutting pumpkins the perfect way
i am other deities who can only perform
when united with Shaktis.
This earth, united with Shakti capable to hold
all beings inhabiting it.
I am the artic melting and polar bears drowning
i am the ice age
I am the top of food chain and i am the one eaten
i'm a good girl and all i get is leftovers.
Cheap left overs
god trying to get in everyone's path.
No penis playing except in secret.
Say no in front of others but yes in front of me.
make me laugh
right now
I am revenge. Steve Irwin crocodile hunger. Stingrays with barbs in heart.
crocodiles stalking away with upset faces.