A Terror is More Certain by Bob Kaufman

<p>Production and Sound Design by Kevin Seaman</p><h1>A Terror is More Certain . . .</h1><p>BY <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/bob-kaufman">BOB KAUFMAN</a></p><p>A terror is more certain than all the rare desirable popular songs I<br />know, than even now when all of my myths have become . . . , & walk<br />around in black shiny galoshes & carry dirty laundry to & fro, & read<br />great books & don’t know criminals intimately, & publish fat books of<br />the month & have wifeys that are lousy in bed & never realize how<br />bad my writing is because i am poor & symbolize myself.<br /><br />A certain desirable is more terror to me than all that’s rare. How<br />come they don’t give an academic award to all the movie stars that<br />die? they’re still acting, ain’t they? even if they are dead, it should<br />not be held against them, after all they still have the public on their<br />side, how would you like to be a dead movie star & have people sit-<br />ting on your grave?<br /><br />A rare me is more certain than desirable, that’s all the terror, there<br />are too many basketball players in this world & too much progress<br />in the burial industry, lets have old fashioned funerals & stand<br />around & forgive & borrow wet handkerchiefs, & sneak out for<br />drinks & help load the guy into the wagon, & feel sad & make a<br />date with the widow & believe we don’t see all of the people sink-<br />ing into the subways going to basketball games & designing baby<br />sitters at Madison Square Garden.<br /><br />A certain me is desirable, what is so rare as air in a Poem, why can’t<br />i write a foreign movie like all the other boys my age, I confess to all<br />the crimes committed during the month of April, but not to save<br />my own neck, which is adjustable, & telescopes into any size noose,<br />I’m doing it to save Gertrude Stein’s reputation, who is secretly<br />flying model airplanes for the underground railroad stern gang of<br />oz, & is the favorite in all the bouts . . . not officiall