The War in Viet Nam
Milton Acorn
The star above my head
’s a baby burning, hopelessly
beyond my blessing. If I kissed him
we’d both scream,
but at least the flame
’d touch us both
… one reality perceived
. As it stands
only he knows he exists
by pain’s present virtue, and all
I can do is acknowledge the
vanishment of light he radiates
( my brainpan’s transparent to it
’s needles … and as for the strange animals
of my imagination, they’re harried on
, made to disappear
if they want to lie still )
.
(1964)
Acorn, Milton. “The War in Viet Nam.” Blew Ointment 3.1 (Nov. 1965): n. pag.
Reprinted with permission from the literary estate of Milton Acorn.