Poem written on a bus April 1954 from S. F. to New York
BUS EAST
Society has good intentions
Bureaucracy is like a friend
5 years ago - other furies
other losses -
America's trying
to control the
uncontrollable
Forest fires,
Vice
The essential smile In
the essential sleep Of
the children
Of the essential mind
I'm all thru playing
the American Now I'm going to
live a good quiet life
The world should be
built for foot walkers
Oily rivers
Of spiney Nevady
I am Jake Cake Rake Write like Blake
The horse is not
pleased Sight of hisgorgeous finery in the dust
Its silken nostrils did disgust
Cats arent kind
Kiddies anent sweet
April in Nevada -
Investigating Dismal Cheyenne
Where the war parties In fields of straw Aimed over oxen
At Indian Chiefs In wild headdress
Pouring thru the gap In Wyoming plain To make the settlers Eat more dust
than dust was eaten
In the States
From East at Seacoast
Where wagons made up
To dreadful Plains Of clazer vup
Saltry settlers Anxious to masturbate
The Mongol Sea
(I'm too tired
in Cheyenne - No
sleep in 4 nights now, &
2 to go)
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I often think of Kerouac as a raging scientist sewing body parts together in a dank lab with jarred spleens---but with bleeding adjectives and pickled pentameters instead. He breaks traditional codes and puts things together in a very obscure manner that challenges our generalities of language and conjures a most haunting picture. In Kerouac's work, I sit inside his head starring out of his eyes. He has a vivid way to relate his ponderings. -
I don't really know what it is, but SOMETHING about this poem is just so...beautiful. he paints pictures so well in my head, he just takes this setting and puts it right before you like *POW* and you're there and it's beautiful. absolutely amazing.





