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

SUZI KAPLAN OLMSTED

The Words

Why do you have

so much stuff

they ask me

as I work to get

admitted to the

mental ward the

night of my 39^th

birthday.

I'm a professional I

think, it's hard to

get them to keep

you, but they're

not interested in

my reasons for

interment,

they want to know

why I have 20 books

and more magazines

that I can carry

and other questions

that I forget to

answer before they

come to the next

question.

I couldn't remember

how to pack

and words were more urgent.

They leave me cold

on a gurney and

tell me nicely "Now

don't you wander

from here" and I

pile the books

around me while

I wait for someone

to bring me sleep

and stop the words.

[Originally published in NHS 2003, http://www.poetspath.com/napalm/nhs03/suzi_kaplan_olmsted.html.]