Jane Helps Dick

Before We Read
The Third Person
We Come and Go
Human Traffic
Dick Whisperer
Things to See

Before We Read

we speak.
Before we speak

we exclaim
we are babies.

We baby talk.
We coo. Like a baby.

We make words
that go on and on.

Oh, oh! says Jane.
Jane invents

new vowels for Dick.
Oooh. Pretty kitten.

The prettiest
pretty kitten.

Baby! Says Dick
Making tame sounds

Under his breath
like a morning dove.

Oh, oh!
says Jane.

It is Baby!
Look, look!

Dick says
baby again.

Dick says baby
over and over again

Dick and Jane
cannot get enough.

Mine.
Says Jane.

Mine. Says Dick.
Dick and Jane

laugh
and laugh.

My funny baby
says Dick.

The Third Person

I can work, says Dick. I can help Mother.
Dick is a big show-off. Jane is a double agent.

Jane says, I can work, too. I can help.
Look, Dick. Jane grabs a knife.

This would be for Father.
Father would eat here.

Jane counts: One, two, three, four.
One is for the Father. One is for Mother.

One is for Dick. One is for Baby Sally.
The repetition of One, Jane postulates silently,

underscores the equal distribution of resources.
One for Father. One for Mother.

One for Dick. And one for Baby Sally.
Jane says, Look, Dick. You may eat here.

Oh, Jane! says Dick. Where will you eat?
Oh, my! says Sally. Where will Jane eat?

Jane recounts. One, two, three, four.
I see four in this family:

Father, Mother, Dick, and Sally.
Father is one. Mother is two.

Dick is three. Sally is four.
One, two, three, four.

Dick laughs and laughs. Like a boss.
He says, Oh, Jane! You are funny.

You are in this family, too. Where will you eat?
Where is one for you? Get one for Jane.

Oh, oh! laughs Jane, playing dumb.
Where is one for me? I will get one for Jane.

We Come and Go

I am his.
You are mine.

He is this. She was
trying to be herself.

They are here now.
All y'all can talk

all you want
about them.

Don’t listen to me,
I am being paranoid.

Everyone feels happy
playing with their toys.

We believe
we are infinitive.

It will be
what it will be.

No one showed up.
We were tense.

They will win.
Who will survive?

Words are rarely enough.
Nothing lasts forever.

Human Traffic

come go say

work owe play

show play see

tell see feel

see feel do

feel do like

do like want

like want touch

want touch love

touch love hate

love hate buy

hate buy sell

buy sell earn

sell earn save

earn save spend

save spend hire

spend hire pray

hire pray grow

pray grow pay

grow pay build

pay build lend

build lend shop

lend shop own

shop own give

own give take

give take serve

take serve plan

serve plan rule

plan rule fear

rule fear seize

fear seize keep

seize keep fire

keep fire think

fire think eat

think eat drink

eat drink sleep

drink sleep take

sleep take brand

.

Dick Whisperer

Silly Sally!
Said Jane.

Dick does not need
A whisperer.

Things to See

See Jane.
See Jane run.
Jane runs

And runs.
See Jane try
And try again.

Jane does not run
Out of ways to try
Harder. See Jane take

A good hard look
At herself. Jane
Looks for answers

For new ways
To be seen and heard.
See Jane say please.

Jane does not
Succeed. See Jane
Flail. See Jane run

Out of time,
Out of rope,
Out of luck.

See Jane run
For the nearest exit.
Please. Jesus H

Three-cornered Christ,
For pity's sake,
See Jane.