Coagulations: New And Selected Poems
by Jayne Cortez

Great collection of Jayne Cortez’s early poetry, from the early 70s to the early 80s. Contains selections from the books Scarification, Mouth on Paper, and Firespitter.

Her poetry is rhythmic, vernacular, surreal, political, honest. This is what spoken word ought to sound like.

There It Is
by Jayne Cortez

And if we don’t fight
if we don’t resist
if we don’t organize and unify and
get the power to control our own lives
Then we will wear
the exaggerated look of captivity
the stylized look of submission
the bizarre look of suicide
the dehumanized look of fear
and the decomposed look of repression
forever and ever and ever And there it is

In fact
poetry
will not
strike
lightning
through
any
convoy of chickens

Today poems are like flags
flying on liquor store roof
poems are like baboons
waiting to be fed by tourists

& does it matter
how many metaphors
reach out to you
when the sun
goes down like
a stuffed bird in
tropical forest
of your solitude

In fact
poetry
will not
sing jazz
through
constricted mouth
of an anteater
no matter how many
symbols survive
to see the moon
dying in saw dust
of your toenail

 

Rose Solitude

"I am essence of Rose Solitude
my cheeks are laced with cognac
my hips sealed with five satin nails
i carry dreams and romance of new fools and old
flames
between the musk of fat
and the side pocket of my mink tongue."
—Jayne Cortez,