Burning on Harmony Street
Epigram #1-A woman, believed to be a Street Person, poured gasoline
on herself, on Harmony St., a block and a half from Independence
Hall, yesterday, and set herself afire. Her age is
estimated at age 19.-paraphrase from 3/18/87 Philadelphia
Daily News
Burning on Harmony Street
She said Jesus
Let me die
He never listened
She was not
a Vie et na mese Budd his monk
She was not an
Ohhhh Sage Ah ve nuhe MOVE mem ber
She was not a prisoner
of politics
She was only someone
gone crazy with the world
If it wasn’t on page 3
Philadelphia Daily News, March 13, 1987
I’d not have known
Even so
Even though
we move from burning blocks
move to the single fire
from government in spi red
fire
to do-it-yourself death
I do not care
It’s only another idea
from which a Poem or a ri ver
flows
just a spark
of an idea
Epigram #2-A Revolution is based on brutal and unselfish love.
paraphrase of quote by John O’Kilean, used by Mlbali Umoja on 4/11/87
2) Bur nling on Har money Street
2 blocks away
from the home of the Freedom Bell
she made her free speech
her last speech
Bur ning on Har mony, Har mony, Her mony
Street
no melody in her life
no brilliance
or brilliance burnt
or chilled
or dulled
burning on Harmony Street, glowing in the makeshift morn,
1 can see the fire
like it’s right here
and I was on the street’s violent night
looking to find
some pain or pleasure,
arenas both inhabited, colours of the same dream,
looking to find some pain or pleasure
looking to find
being found out in stead
Epigram #3-The point of a Poet is not to write Poetry.
Kush, as quoted by Gill Ott, on 4/11/87
3) Oh Jesus let me die
she said
was she dying for my sins
or yours
burning so brightly
on Harmony Street
burning so brightly
why not
one burning nightly
on Harmony Street
every tourist
loves a show
from 3/19/87-typed 4/11/87
robertthesmall 