Two more ancient poems

Dr Rascher's Heavenly Chariot

It was a secret

within a secret

It made even

Himmler sick,

the tall box on wheels

behind block 5

in Dachau.

It could simulate

a vertical dive

from 32,000 feet

with or without oxygen.

Dr Rascher

had a deadline to meet

October 25

the great

Luftwaffe Conference

on Freezing

and Nuremburg

is so lovely in the fall, Fraulein,

we could walk together on the bank

of the River Regnitz

under the tall lindens

and I could give you nylons

and a tin of potted meat perhaps

after the Scientific Sessions

if

     you would only, 

if you

        would

                                        warm

He was worried

They brought him

a 37 year old Jew

in good general condition

They brought him

four Gypsy women

from another camp

He gave them all a ride

in his heavenly chariot

recording his

meticulous observations

in a careful hand

male subject at 12 Km

no supplemental oxygen

subject breathed

for 30 minutes

diaphoresis

and myoclonus

appeared at four

tetany at five

tachypnea at six

unconsciousness by ten

and then a gradual

slowing of the breath

to three per minute

with deepening cyanosis

and foam at the lips

until breathing ceased at thirty;

electrocardiographic activity

continued for another twenty

and at autopsy

the atria still quivered

even after the spine was severed

and the brain pulled

from its heavy, subarachnoid

oedema

(applause)

He was worried about

          the warming with body heat experiments

Himmler was insisting

But, damn it, he'd so meticulously documented

          the results of cooling!

The excitation, the progressive rigors,

         the flexion contractures, the tonic-clonic activity

and how when he cooled them

          to 26.5 C rectally

it was the submersive chilling of the occiput

          that would invariably result in fatality -

paresis of the thermoregulatory

          centers of the brainstem

he'd speculate learnedly

(applause)

...then arm in arm, Fraulein,

flush in a lovely season

the Regnitz flowing

beneath our balcony

thanks to our gracious

Reichsfuehrer

it could mean a University

appointment after the war

crimson leaves upturned

spinning downstream

I will run a finger

under the silk

of your gown

at the shoulder

                              in the shadows

But warming with body heat.

Oh, let's dial in

a fall from 10 Km,

and then

two hours in the ice pool

at 2C,

yes, yes the helmet

and kapok vest,

and this time keep

the damned occiput up

for heaven's sake

and the rectal thermometer secured

for my meticulous observations

maybe this one will live

     long enough to re-

                                        warm

...O Savior of the noble

Luftwaffe: Dr. Sigmund Rascher,

Professor Untersturnfuerher Rasscher, in the

shadows above the lovely river,

along the shoulder of the lovely Fraulein

I slowly run my finger

along the supraclavicular hollow

down the costochondral ridge

to xiphoid, rectus, navel, pubes

thanks to our gracious

Reichsfuerer Himmler

if only he

                    lives

if only he

                    will           warm

if only he

Prepare the bed!

Get the Gypsy whores

from Station RF, bastard!

And drag the shivering bastard from the pool!

That's it, oh it'll take two at least,

throw them on, that's right,

right on top of him,

now warm him, you bitches, you whores,

warm him

                    warm him

                                        WARM HIM!

99 hells

she talkin bout an

eye thru a needle

sky thru a vein

pain don't reign no more

she say jazz sick

junk stomach

watch the neon

suicide every nite

at the same time, it's

gonna be alright.

he ask quarter to six

monkey city inter

zone baby

what happenin with that

'55 Caddy lady?

dragon girl she say get in

chase me kiss me

fuck me got that

taste me tight salty

we gonna chase it

together

she gonna blow

veins blues purple blood

tiger vinegar mist

red mirror smoke

leopard arson jazz

glass needle rock me

shake me to the core.

she want she got

a viper or three

for me tonite,

tonite be my baby

rag rage rig glow needle jazz.

daily he thinkin

factory death soul

skeleton key

oh yeah, we froggy,

normal don't shine.

he got eight smokin

nites of blue motel

barbiturate jazz

conjure prostitute

baby just spit your arms

around me, it's

gonna be alright.

he get outta me

outta car serpent

mantis widow outfit

impossible breath

street corner hungry

crew maggot my skin

is death.

ninety-nine hells.

ninety-nine hells to go.