Michael Ruby
Six poems from THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER
AMERICA’S OVERSEAS MILITARY BASES
O Camp Fallujah say Camp Taji can Combat Outpost Shocker you Joint Base Balad see Victory
Base Complex
By Camp Bucca the Camp Justice dawn’s Forward Operating Base Abu Ghraib early Forward
Operating Base Grizzly light Forward Operating Base Sykes
What Camp Baharia so Bagram Air Base proudly Camp Dwyer we Camp Leatherneck hailed Forward
Operating Base Delaram
At Shindand Air Base the Kandahar International Airport twilight’s NATO Support Activity
Belgium last Chievres Air Base gleaming Diego Garcia Navy Support Facility
Whose Ansback broad Bamberg stripes Baumholder and Darmstadt bright Giessen Depot/Ray
Barracks stars Geilenkirchen Air Base
Through Giebelstadt the Grafenwoehr perilous Hanau night Heidelberg
O’er Hohenfels the Illesheim ramparts Kaiserlautern we Kitzingen watched Mannheim
Were Ramstein Air Base so Rhein-Main Air Base gallantly Schweinfurt Air Base streaming
Spangdahlem Air Base
And Stuttgart/Robinson Barracks the Vilseck rocket’s Wiesbaden red Wuerzburg glare Souda Bay
Naval Support Activity
The Thule Air Base bombs Keflaavik Naval Air Station bursting Aviano Air Base in Camp Darby
air Caserma Ederle
Gave Gaeta Naval Support Activity proof La Maddalena Naval Support Activity through Naples
Naval Support Activity the Sigonella Naval Air Station night Atsugi Naval Air Facility
That Camp S.D. Butler our Camp Zama flag Iwakuni Marine Corps Air Station was Kadena Air
Base still Misawa Air Base there Sasebo Fleet Activities
O Torii Station say Yokosuka Fleet Activities does Yokota Air Base that 254th Base Support
Battalion star Lajes Field spangled Logistics Group Western Pacific banner Camp Casey
yet Camp Henry wave Camp Hialeah
O’er Camp Humphreys the Kunsan Air Base land Osan Air Base of Moron Air Base the Rota Naval
Station free Incirlik
And Izmir Air Station the Joint Military Facility St. Mawgan home Lakenheath RAF of Mildenhall
RAF the Molesworth RAF brave Guantanamo Bay Naval Station
*
O paunts say pucked can underhilts you cert see pems
By rindizzer the leckproof dawn’s timebizes early bames light leggum
What umholic so zent proudly treb we fillering hailed sembate
At onoferous the somebut twilight’s tize last pell gleaming toolbore
Whose simps broad paralites stripes permalay and pazure bright drime stars resterect
Through flauze the leffing perilous orton night pemmed
O’er shelt the overworms ramparts pural we sim watched inforite
Were teps so timp gallantly temphones streaming joodle
And firples the offlooth rocket’s tastebelt red sugs glare reece
The ommoned bombs moils bursting brime in omflifferous air oligopolies
Gave exominated proof hoiled through rusk the poy night member
That yangling our pelf flag ruggers was bressing still Silladelphia there hillerize
O mene say bremmers does hermanizes that poose star pulk spangled semmons banner
hollowgast yet pem wave poose
O’er begister the poiling land laskers of tolliver the plegular free bem
And pestume the ipcycled home ammon of randazzle the barts brave gillum
*
O zero say one can one you zero see one
By zero the zero dawn’s one early zero light one
What one so zero proudly one we one hailed zero
At one the zero twilight’s one last zero gleaming zero
Whose one broad one stripes one and one bright zero stars zero
Through zero the zero perilous one night zero
O’er zero the zero ramparts zero we zero watched one
Were one so one gallantly zero streaming one
And yes the yes rocket’s one red one glare zero
The one bombs one bursting zero in one air zero
Gave zero proof one through one the one night zero
That one our zero flag one was zero still zero there zero
O zero say one does zero that zero star one spangled
one banner zero yet zero wave zero
O’er zero the one land zero of one the one free zero
And one the zero home zero of one the zero brave one
FROM A RED 2003 STANDARD DIARY
O July 4, 2003 say (during our fraudulent war) can I awakened to a sunny morning. you I wish we
had see a whole week
By in Columbia County. the Charlotte’s right eye is dawn’s almost completely closed. Early Liz
called and said light they had a total rainout
What in East Hampton yesterday, so and it’s very wet proudly and cloudy this morning. we A good
thing hailed we came up here.
At Louisa said Kitty’s the probably gonna leave twilight’s to get away from last bad memories of
Martin. gleaming But maybe Kitty’s sister
Whose will take the place. broad The allergy pill has stripes an odd calming effect. and It glues me
bright to the green bench stars under the silver maple.
Through Then I walk up the road the in the heat perilous to Lipman’s fields, night just mowed,
O’er which I walk around the and observe. ramparts Then I water forsythia we and “stickerbushes”
watched by the spring,
Were working up a sweat. so Then we all swim gallantly in the pond streaming for the first time
And this year. Not bad. the I got a terrific bee sting rocket’s leaving the water. red Louisa
weedwhacked glare the shady area.
The During lunch bombs under the silver maple, bursting Louisa told the girlies in the history air of
her love life
Gave (a la Betty Smith). proof I told about through asking Owen’s permission. the It took an hour
night to drive to Josh
That and Dee’s house our in Sharon, Connecticut. flag The girlies caught bullfrogs. was I proved to
Peter, still Phil’s brother-in-law, there I’m a good tennis player.
O Beth and her kids say were up at the house. does Louisa left us that by the pond. star There was
no food spangled and no bottle opener banner for beer down there, yet so I wanted to go
wave up to the house.
O’er At the house, the I mostly talked land to Philip or Beth of in the end. the The fireworks were
even better free than last time.
And The moon was the a yellow spike home on our drive home. of Back in Gallatin, the Louisa and
I watched brave fireflies in the field.
*
O piecemeal eggs say phone rights can polished organisms you premised poodle see blemished
integuments
By rice dingdongs the elevator oracle dawn’s practical master early pill laggage light carapace ports
What boxed peachtree so permanent Ross proudly orifice hunter we bong burgers hailed rong gong
At perfect techs the smelly beskuelle twilight’s pointed nasturtium last true minefield gleaming
bargain patooties
Whose boring foraging broad lemon telescopes stripes pie Danneken and death’s heads bright
Molloy time stars drime hooligans
Through parallel universes the regulated fascicles perilous known poltroons night lying portraits
O’er promised Morgan the full-blown eggshell ramparts found wallowing we treated poison
watched honest flaking
Were telepathic scions so oiled lozenges gallantly awkward tuna streaming piled bakes
And degraded pacemaker the punched hustler rocket’s polished positron red bellbottom toy glare
last bananas
The imperfect squirrel bombs lefthanded voiceovers bursting salivary designs in pine licenses air
wrongdoing alone
Gave legerdemain time proof space rights through cinnamon light the hesitant pen night Amish
timebomb
That rising highland our oiled poison flag eleven sentences was ninety takes still elegant epinephron
there despondent mews
O two words say eleven lemons does free fall that lost samovar star ice bowls spangled hope tours
banner honest injun yet dying prices wave wrong chestnuts
O’er basic antithesis the bestial lollipops land tiger paragon of ominous toystore the logical
panjandrum free paranormal dopamine
And holiday raisinbread the telecommuting genesis home irregular tomtom of irrigated ping the
listening park brave cloying royster
*
O bombs say we can broad you twilight’s see and
By stripes the and dawn’s that early gallantly light so
What the so through proudly glare we bright hailed watched
At say the the twilight’s rocket’s last in gleaming perilous
Whose bursting broad air stripes through and was bright does stars ramparts
Through light the the perilous O night night
O’er by the say ramparts red we hailed watched O
Were home so can gallantly at streaming of
And there the the rocket’s the red dawn’s glare the
The so bombs flag bursting o’er in banner air what
Gave the proof gleaming through were the star night o’er
That gave our the flag streaming was you still proudly there night
O proof say and does wave that the star that spangled whose banner our yet the wave free
O’er early the the land last of we the land free see
And still the spangled home of of stars the last brave brave
Michael Ruby is the author of five full-length books of poetry, including American Songbook (Ugly Duckling, 2013) and Compulsive Words (BlazeVOX, 2010); a trilogy of psychic research, Memories, Dreams and Inner Voices (Station Hill, 2012); and four chapbooks from Dusie, including Close Your Eyes (2013), which was #1 on Artforum's Top Ten in October 2013. He is also the co-editor of Bernadette Mayer’s recently published collected early books from Station Hill. He lives in Brooklyn and works as an editor of U.S. news and political articles at The Wall Street Journal.
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Six poems from THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER
AMERICA’S OVERSEAS MILITARY BASES
O Camp Fallujah say Camp Taji can Combat Outpost Shocker you Joint Base Balad see Victory
Base Complex
By Camp Bucca the Camp Justice dawn’s Forward Operating Base Abu Ghraib early Forward
Operating Base Grizzly light Forward Operating Base Sykes
What Camp Baharia so Bagram Air Base proudly Camp Dwyer we Camp Leatherneck hailed Forward
Operating Base Delaram
At Shindand Air Base the Kandahar International Airport twilight’s NATO Support Activity
Belgium last Chievres Air Base gleaming Diego Garcia Navy Support Facility
Whose Ansback broad Bamberg stripes Baumholder and Darmstadt bright Giessen Depot/Ray
Barracks stars Geilenkirchen Air Base
Through Giebelstadt the Grafenwoehr perilous Hanau night Heidelberg
O’er Hohenfels the Illesheim ramparts Kaiserlautern we Kitzingen watched Mannheim
Were Ramstein Air Base so Rhein-Main Air Base gallantly Schweinfurt Air Base streaming
Spangdahlem Air Base
And Stuttgart/Robinson Barracks the Vilseck rocket’s Wiesbaden red Wuerzburg glare Souda Bay
Naval Support Activity
The Thule Air Base bombs Keflaavik Naval Air Station bursting Aviano Air Base in Camp Darby
air Caserma Ederle
Gave Gaeta Naval Support Activity proof La Maddalena Naval Support Activity through Naples
Naval Support Activity the Sigonella Naval Air Station night Atsugi Naval Air Facility
That Camp S.D. Butler our Camp Zama flag Iwakuni Marine Corps Air Station was Kadena Air
Base still Misawa Air Base there Sasebo Fleet Activities
O Torii Station say Yokosuka Fleet Activities does Yokota Air Base that 254th Base Support
Battalion star Lajes Field spangled Logistics Group Western Pacific banner Camp Casey
yet Camp Henry wave Camp Hialeah
O’er Camp Humphreys the Kunsan Air Base land Osan Air Base of Moron Air Base the Rota Naval
Station free Incirlik
And Izmir Air Station the Joint Military Facility St. Mawgan home Lakenheath RAF of Mildenhall
RAF the Molesworth RAF brave Guantanamo Bay Naval Station
O paunts say pucked can underhilts you cert see pems
By rindizzer the leckproof dawn’s timebizes early bames light leggum
What umholic so zent proudly treb we fillering hailed sembate
At onoferous the somebut twilight’s tize last pell gleaming toolbore
Whose simps broad paralites stripes permalay and pazure bright drime stars resterect
Through flauze the leffing perilous orton night pemmed
O’er shelt the overworms ramparts pural we sim watched inforite
Were teps so timp gallantly temphones streaming joodle
And firples the offlooth rocket’s tastebelt red sugs glare reece
The ommoned bombs moils bursting brime in omflifferous air oligopolies
Gave exominated proof hoiled through rusk the poy night member
That yangling our pelf flag ruggers was bressing still Silladelphia there hillerize
O mene say bremmers does hermanizes that poose star pulk spangled semmons banner
hollowgast yet pem wave poose
O’er begister the poiling land laskers of tolliver the plegular free bem
And pestume the ipcycled home ammon of randazzle the barts brave gillum
O zero say one can one you zero see one
By zero the zero dawn’s one early zero light one
What one so zero proudly one we one hailed zero
At one the zero twilight’s one last zero gleaming zero
Whose one broad one stripes one and one bright zero stars zero
Through zero the zero perilous one night zero
O’er zero the zero ramparts zero we zero watched one
Were one so one gallantly zero streaming one
And yes the yes rocket’s one red one glare zero
The one bombs one bursting zero in one air zero
Gave zero proof one through one the one night zero
That one our zero flag one was zero still zero there zero
O zero say one does zero that zero star one spangled
one banner zero yet zero wave zero
O’er zero the one land zero of one the one free zero
And one the zero home zero of one the zero brave one
FROM A RED 2003 STANDARD DIARY
O July 4, 2003 say (during our fraudulent war) can I awakened to a sunny morning. you I wish we
had see a whole week
By in Columbia County. the Charlotte’s right eye is dawn’s almost completely closed. Early Liz
called and said light they had a total rainout
What in East Hampton yesterday, so and it’s very wet proudly and cloudy this morning. we A good
thing hailed we came up here.
At Louisa said Kitty’s the probably gonna leave twilight’s to get away from last bad memories of
Martin. gleaming But maybe Kitty’s sister
Whose will take the place. broad The allergy pill has stripes an odd calming effect. and It glues me
bright to the green bench stars under the silver maple.
Through Then I walk up the road the in the heat perilous to Lipman’s fields, night just mowed,
O’er which I walk around the and observe. ramparts Then I water forsythia we and “stickerbushes”
watched by the spring,
Were working up a sweat. so Then we all swim gallantly in the pond streaming for the first time
And this year. Not bad. the I got a terrific bee sting rocket’s leaving the water. red Louisa
weedwhacked glare the shady area.
The During lunch bombs under the silver maple, bursting Louisa told the girlies in the history air of
her love life
Gave (a la Betty Smith). proof I told about through asking Owen’s permission. the It took an hour
night to drive to Josh
That and Dee’s house our in Sharon, Connecticut. flag The girlies caught bullfrogs. was I proved to
Peter, still Phil’s brother-in-law, there I’m a good tennis player.
O Beth and her kids say were up at the house. does Louisa left us that by the pond. star There was
no food spangled and no bottle opener banner for beer down there, yet so I wanted to go
wave up to the house.
O’er At the house, the I mostly talked land to Philip or Beth of in the end. the The fireworks were
even better free than last time.
And The moon was the a yellow spike home on our drive home. of Back in Gallatin, the Louisa and
I watched brave fireflies in the field.
O piecemeal eggs say phone rights can polished organisms you premised poodle see blemished
integuments
By rice dingdongs the elevator oracle dawn’s practical master early pill laggage light carapace ports
What boxed peachtree so permanent Ross proudly orifice hunter we bong burgers hailed rong gong
At perfect techs the smelly beskuelle twilight’s pointed nasturtium last true minefield gleaming
bargain patooties
Whose boring foraging broad lemon telescopes stripes pie Danneken and death’s heads bright
Molloy time stars drime hooligans
Through parallel universes the regulated fascicles perilous known poltroons night lying portraits
O’er promised Morgan the full-blown eggshell ramparts found wallowing we treated poison
watched honest flaking
Were telepathic scions so oiled lozenges gallantly awkward tuna streaming piled bakes
And degraded pacemaker the punched hustler rocket’s polished positron red bellbottom toy glare
last bananas
The imperfect squirrel bombs lefthanded voiceovers bursting salivary designs in pine licenses air
wrongdoing alone
Gave legerdemain time proof space rights through cinnamon light the hesitant pen night Amish
timebomb
That rising highland our oiled poison flag eleven sentences was ninety takes still elegant epinephron
there despondent mews
O two words say eleven lemons does free fall that lost samovar star ice bowls spangled hope tours
banner honest injun yet dying prices wave wrong chestnuts
O’er basic antithesis the bestial lollipops land tiger paragon of ominous toystore the logical
panjandrum free paranormal dopamine
And holiday raisinbread the telecommuting genesis home irregular tomtom of irrigated ping the
listening park brave cloying royster
O bombs say we can broad you twilight’s see and
By stripes the and dawn’s that early gallantly light so
What the so through proudly glare we bright hailed watched
At say the the twilight’s rocket’s last in gleaming perilous
Whose bursting broad air stripes through and was bright does stars ramparts
Through light the the perilous O night night
O’er by the say ramparts red we hailed watched O
Were home so can gallantly at streaming of
And there the the rocket’s the red dawn’s glare the
The so bombs flag bursting o’er in banner air what
Gave the proof gleaming through were the star night o’er
That gave our the flag streaming was you still proudly there night
O proof say and does wave that the star that spangled whose banner our yet the wave free
O’er early the the land last of we the land free see
And still the spangled home of of stars the last brave brave
Michael Ruby is the author of five full-length books of poetry, including American Songbook (Ugly Duckling, 2013) and Compulsive Words (BlazeVOX, 2010); a trilogy of psychic research, Memories, Dreams and Inner Voices (Station Hill, 2012); and four chapbooks from Dusie, including Close Your Eyes (2013), which was #1 on Artforum's Top Ten in October 2013. He is also the co-editor of Bernadette Mayer’s recently published collected early books from Station Hill. He lives in Brooklyn and works as an editor of U.S. news and political articles at The Wall Street Journal.
posted by mark young at 8:46 PM
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Very cool
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