the venus of suffering by lou suSi

suffering the venus of

a poem by lou suSi

suffering the venus of

let uS compare our suffering

if your suffering is more than mine

i shalL weep & suffer for your deeper suffering

if your suffering is perfect more perfect than mine

i shalL moan & suffer for your perfect suffering

if your suffering iS a deserted steamship floating recklesS abandoned at thee mercy of thee mississippi floodwaters

enraged

then mine iS a decrepit kayaK beached on thee rivershore of a drunkened reservation on a cloudy evening

if your suffering is thee haunting howL of thee loOn then

mine iS thee song of the caged canary

if your suffering is a grand stone castle

mine suffering is thee moat which protects your suffering filled with blood & piSs & hungry crocodiles

if your suffering is a cemetery ...

then i walk thee grounds & water alL thee flowers i wash thee stones with a balmy rag i weep & kneeL at every willowed grave

if your suffering is a withered daffodiL

mine iS just a daisy

if your suffering is the pontius pilot

then i am thee good thief i am thee good thief

if your suffering is an archaic precious wind ...

mine is the earth & sea you gently touch & tap upon

if your suffering perhaps may bee bigger than

thee breadbox or larger than life itself ...

mine is thee bread

thee milk thee butterfly

if your suffering is a growling fierce volcano gurgling hot inside

then mine suffering iS a rabid city squirrel

if your suffering iS thee turbulent eventide pounding of 7000 horses set free on thee beach

then my suffering is thee same 7000 horses held quiet in nigh captivity

if your suffering is thee mighty niLe

mine is

the menstrual aching mississippi

if your suffering is a forest fire

my suffering is an unknown lugubrious woodland trickling brook

if your suffering is a ferris wheel a rollercoaster a tiltawhirl

mine is thee tunnel of love

if your suffering iS a cuckoo clock

mines the little bird

inside thee little door

if your suffering is thee christ on thee croSs

then mine bee thee wee innocent christchild stilL wet & meSsy frum thee womb

if you wear your suffering like crown like queen like king

i wear mine like ringworm on a beggar

if your suffering is a burning tree

my suffering iS thee pinecone dropped, surviving

if you suffer leSs than mee

then i suffer frum an abundanse of

suffering

if your suffering is a delicate sewn spidersweb

i am thee moth caught in its sticky fibres

if your suffering iS a calm clear laKe

i am looking at my reflection in thee water rippled with falling tears

if your suffering is a precious sparse shostakovitch

mine is an oskar kokoshka

if your suffering is a black seaswepttrunk filled with a soldiers things strong malignant

fingergripse of a longforgotten battle

then mine is merelee a decrepit white medicinecabinet filled with shaving lotion & dulL & rusty

razorbladeS

if yours is thee coo of 2 turtledoves then mine iS thee virginmary

if your suffering is a gameshow hostess

then mine is thee nightlee news at 9

if your suffering is a tumble headlong slowmotion down a spiral set of stairs

then mine is just walking up thee down escalator

if your suffering is a treehouse

then mine iS a wooly

ocean

wooden raft in thee untame

if your suffering iS eucalyptus

mine is peeled birchbark

if you suffer if you are

suffering then so am i

alL images & writing 1995 ÂŠ lou suSi printed by BijaXOuS suPpleMente preSs po box 1098 middleton, ma 01949 http://www.supplemente.org http://www.bijaxous.com