we love

I ran up six flights of stairs 
to my small furnished room 
opened the window 
and began throwing out 
those things most important in life 

First to go, Truth, squealing like a fink: 
“Don’t! I’ll tell awful things about you!” 
“Oh yeah? Well, I’ve nothing to hide … OUT!” 
Then went God, glowering & whimpering in amazement: 
“It’s not my fault! I’m not the cause of it all!” “OUT!” 
Then Love, cooing bribes: “You’ll never know impotency! 
All the girls on Vogue covers, all yours!” 
I pushed her fat ass out and screamed: 
“You always end up a bummer!” 
I picked up Faith Hope Charity 
all three clinging together: 
“Without us you’ll surely die!” 
“With you I’m going nuts! Goodbye!” 

Then Beauty … ah, Beauty —
As I led her to the window 
I told her: “You I loved best in life 
… but you’re a killer; Beauty kills!” 
Not really meaning to drop her 
I immediately ran downstairs 
getting there just in time to catch her 
“You saved me!” she cried 
I put her down and told her: “Move on.” 

Went back up those six flights 
went to the money 
there was no money to throw out. 
The only thing left in the room was Death 
hiding beneath the kitchen sink: 
“I’m not real!” It cried 
“I’m just a rumor spread by life …” 
Laughing I threw it out, kitchen sink and all 
and suddenly realized Humor 
was all that was left —
All I could do with Humor was to say: 
“Out the window with the window!”

-Gregory Corso

A thief drives to the museum in his black van. The night

watchman says Sorry, closed, you have to come back tomorrow.

The thief sticks the point of his knife in the guard’s ear.

I haven’t got all evening, he says, I need some art.

Art is for pleasure, the guard says, not possession, you can’t

something, and then the duct tape is going across his mouth.

Don’t worry, the thief says, we’re both on the same side.

He finds the Dutch Masters and goes right for a Vermeer:

“Girl Writing a Letter.” The thief knows what he’s doing.

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