Coagulations: New And Selected Poems

Great collection of Jayne Cortez’s early poetry, from the early 70s to the early 80s. Contains selections from the books Scarification, Mouth on Paper, and Firespitter.Her poetry is rhythmic, vernacular, surreal, political, honest. This is what spoken word ought to sound like. There It Is by Jayne Cortez And if we don’t fight if we don’t resist if we don’t organize and unify and get the power to control our own lives Then we will wear the exaggerated look of captivity the stylized look of submission the bizarre look of suicide the dehumanized look of fear and the decomposed look of repression forever and ever and ever And there it is In fact poetry will not strike lightning through any convoy of chickens Today poems are like flags flying on liquor store roof poems are like baboons waiting to be fed by tourists & does it matter how many metaphors reach out to you when the sun goes down like a stuffed bird in tropical forest of your solitude In fact poetry will not sing jazz through constricted mouth of an anteater no matter how many symbols survive to see the moon dying in saw dust of your toenail Rose Solitude “I am essence of Rose Solitude my cheeks are laced with cognac my hips sealed with five satin nails i carry dreams and romance of new fools and old flames between the musk of fat and the side pocket of my mink tongue.” -Jayne Cortez,