Ray DeJesús


Derelict Haikus


1

a humbucking pickup Texas Special single coil at the neck The Jet-stang is the closest thing I know
there are three chords now
A voice breaks in or lilac, or pansy, or mauve
itinerant preachers uneducated and even unlettered learned how to rouse
Between rousing and sometimes raucous

*

gospel hymns promising forgiveness, warning
of hell, would rotate on the platform
for days
The sort of spiritual manifestations
Later, he expanded his account
masses of unchurched farmers, laborers
hearing a song

*

 crank up the guitar hearing a song
battle with the instrument
the battle is the pleasure I’m
no virtuoso like Segovia live show

*

100% switching channels on amp
folk singer in the middle
the emotion of a song each time you play it
sort of the punk rock ethos
record buying public
heavyweight when it comes

*

it was personal vision
in a visionary age
when the spectacular shaft of light
receded
lying dazed on his back in the quiet grove
as usual, there was work to do

*

bedside while he prayed brayed
mobilized and nervous he knew
he rode to his death

They bought the captives a Book, a bottle of wine, and a smuggled pistol


2


card games over
extensive talks through
blasted trees
olive leaves
i think I’m fragments
sam:
chris:
scuttlebutt
public events
keep under 20
abstain
subtitles and
brackets then
subtitulos
marisol
focus
disappearance
gin up
tucked away in my drawer
cherry ports
bomberos
brouhaha


3

lee majors it stands to reason that
bogart not humphrey’s is tousled hamstrung
clouds and exhortations to stay out of prison manage
christmas eve is a night honeymoon
nothing but gusts of wind
a quince and a projectionist dead run on a
bandstand
band concerts
it’s toll house
everyone’s sweating
including
fred mcmurray
lee marvin


4

dibujos are drawings
docile
gone back rural back to form i like when it unfurls
(places cutlery on plate)
see i assume characters’ gaits after finishing a film

 rocky balboa is a left-handed brawler
he learns to be a tactician
he doesn’t live above a truck repair shop
i do

  Mosey on down

 

5

 fog Report 

be Brave                     caffeine Stories !

roll Call

chickens Befit before hatching

eggs basket

red Scare !

 molecular death data
can’t make the Club if you’re sitting
in The club

something’s Going to have to give!

tentative
learned reflex


6


repertoire concert
stratagem discomfiting
prospectus shoe
soft shoe
valise granted
pay off
pitch in
quietly low


7


text: pregnant
epistolary gesticulation
incremental or durational
hair grows , sometimes
locomotive
its ghost that’s body
barbaric music carhop
betrothed pistolas, a pair
cubano, jimmy durante
early in november
burnt espresso, silent esperanto

 *

 reckless abandonment
and general wantonness
bulb blond moon
stucco, the sky’s the limit
them three hills Switzerland of purse
predilections           proclivities


8

 There is a garbage can
(There is a garbage can)
There is a red barn on the way
(There is a red barn on the way)
A school teacher stands there.
(A school teacher stands there)
There is an enlightened man
(There is an enlightened man)
There is a kettle of fish
(There is a kettle of fish)
Isla Verde is there
(Isla Verde is there)
Milkweeds
(Milkweeds)
A bottle of cream
(A bottle of cream)
A jar of Pond’s face cream
(A jar of Pond’s face cream)
A bowl of rice
(A bowl of rice)
A hum
(A hum)
A whistle
(A whistle)

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Ray DeJesús was born, raised, and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. He teaches English Language Arts to junior high school students in East New York.