H
e a r t S o n s & H e a r t
D a u g h t e r s of
A l l e n G i n s b e r g
N
a p a l m H e a l t h S p a : R
e p o r t 2 0 1 4 : A r c h i v e s E d i t i o n
M.L. LIEBLER
Breaking
the Voodoo
I better think about this.
Something is happening
To me because
Something is rattling
Inside of me
To move my spirit up
Through the top
Of my bald head,
And it’s hot!
It’s like a volcano
burning
Somewhere between my soul
And my pancreas
And I gotta ride it
Up through my stomach
Past my emotions
Quick!
Light some incense
Place it on the altar of
my shoulders.
Fan the flames.
This might take a while.
Get more incense to burn.
CHANT/CHANT/CHANT
Get the goat
If not the goat how
About some more incense.
Fan the flame.
Rip the fur.
Blow the blood.
I’m – I’m
Breaking the voodoo.
Tonight’s the night.
I’m breaking the voodoo
The voodoo on everything.
I’m breaking the voodoo
On McDonald’s secret sauce
The one that killed
That lady up in Montreal
in ’78.
I’m breaking the voodoo
On all secret negotiations
With saucy countries
That should really be
given the secret sauce
Instead of secret weapons
and such.
I’m furthermore, breaking
the voodoo
On all families who supply
These saucy countries with
children
May they all experience
the secret sauce!
Look what happened in
Montreal!
I’m breaking the voodoo
On religion as it were.
I’m breaking the voodoo
That says to be a good
Christian
You have to support Jim
& Tammy
Or Robertson & Tillson
Or Jerry & Orel
Or John & Paul
Of which while I’m on that
subject
I’m breaking the voodoo
On all rock groups of the
60’s
WHO still tour
As John, Paul, George,
& Ringo
Didn’t!
While I’m at it and
In the same stanza,
I’m breaking the voodoo
On Mark David Chapman.
Although I’m several years
late,
He is broken and,
therefore,
Forgiven.
In face, I’m breaking the
voodoo
On ALL past, present and
future ass ass ins.
Let’s keep it all in
perspective
Keep your business with
politicians!
I’m breaking the voodoo
On politicians so they
won’t
Have to become the victims
of assassins
Stop pitting folks against
each other
To lie for you
And people won’t need to
sent assassins
In to kill you,
So much.
I’m breaking the voodoo
On the KKK
Start doing the right thing
Under those sheets.
Come on, you boys aren’t
Catholic.
It’s not a sin
For you.
I’m breaking the voodoo
On all poets and artists
Who think their art
Is such a statement
That they don’t have
To speak the
L-A-N-G-U-A-G-E
I’m breaking the voodoo
On all warring nations
Listen to your souls
And pray to your gods.
And if nothing happens,
So what!
At least you will not have
killed
Anyone in the time you
spent
In prayer and meditation.
Now I’ll break the voodoo
On all body counts.
I, also, break the voodoo
On arithmetic.
There! Now you can’t count!
I’m breaking the voodoo
On all Afrikaners.
You can’t have
What isn’t yours!
If your mothers didn’t
Tell you that
Then read Mandela’s book.
I know you can read.
You got all the schools.
Break you own voodoo!
I break the voodoo
On punks.
I wouldn’t mine them
If I could trust them
Skinheaded
Purple Mohawk haired,
eyebrow pierced
Kids not to vote for
Republican or Perot
But since I can’t trust
them
I break their voodoo.
I break the voodoo
On all Newt, Rush
Limbaugh, John Engler types
And all fat ass
Republicans,
Weightwatcher dropout, pennyloafer
Wearin, bleeding madras
shirted, Docker
Panted turd stubs.
Let them go without the
food and shelter
And that pursuit of
happiness blah, blah, blah
For jus one day, and let’s
see how well tey do as
Pandhandlin, street beggin,
soup kitchen constituents
I break the voodoo
On the
Michigan/Montana/Idaho Militia people
And all those play
soldier, paint ball shootin
Survivalist bastards who
really have
More in common with my
cheese dick,
Racist, bigoted macho
mouthed retired
White Detroit Police
officer neighbor than with
The Black Panthers,
Weatherman Underground
& Sandanistas.
I break the voodoo
On all older women who
forgot
To take their calcium when
they were young.
Straighten up!
Straighten up!
You’re FREE.
Well, as free as
Republican laws
Allow.
I break the voodoo
On the oppression,
suppression,
Repressions of all women.
Let them up, off, and out
To be free
In a world that owes them
Everything
But fears giving them
anything.
I break the voodoo
Of public machoismoism
For all those guys
Who drive around with no
Shirts and hang out car
windows screamin
To impress women.
Finally, I break the voodoo
On all cheap, self
absorbed people
Who hold paper and coin
In such high regard
That they’d let
Their brothers &
sisters starve
So they can buy
The big burgers
With the secret sauce
That killed the lady
In Montreal
In ’78.
I break the voodoo!
I break the voodoo!!
I break the VOODOO!!!
On it all
On it ALL
ON IT ALL
TONIGHT!
[“Breaking the Voodoo first appeared in
different stages and updates in the following books: Breaking the Voodoo (Adastra Press / Easthampton, MA / 2001),
The Moon A Box (New Issues Press-Western
Michigan University / Kalamazoo, MI 2004). Used by Permission of the Author. Originally published in NHS 2013, http://www.poetspath.com/napalm/_special_edition_nhs_2013/.]