The Collected Poems of Ted Berrigan (35 page)

You give me brain-spasms,

& heart-bursts.

Writing to read      &

Pictures to see

You give me love,

& I feel proud

that you really do

like me & respect me

despite everything

Because You are one of my big

heroes. . . .                            Smarter

than me,        (tho really no

“better”, if you

know what I mean)

I love you a whole lot.

I’m glad we were together

on this train.

I had a really nice time

at your place today.

I felt really alive, &

warmed

walking toward the

train

That I just got up

in,

&

walked thru

&

now am off of,

at

the end of this book,

TRAIN RIDE

(Feb 18th, 1971)

For Joe

BY TED BERRIGAN AND ANNE WALDMAN

Today:

Open                       Opening                       Opened:

The angels that surround me

die

they kiss death

& they die

they always die.

they speak to us

with sealed lips

information operating

at the speed of light

speak to us

O speak to us

in our tiny head

deep calling out to deep