Mississippi is to the Nile as New Orleans is to Alexandria.

This will be my first [physical] trip to Louisiana.

from The Grassblade Light:

 6


  
 Hallowed, evened out, Henry in the distance now,
 a mote in the delta.  Audacious love triangle
 twirls, treeless, on its own, an RI tangle –
 as dry leaves (spare delight) toward Salem go.

  
 Autumn lightning, hurricanes.  Then thunder.
 A Micmac, shadowy (through wormhole t-t-tuba)
 flows upstream – toward a salty spiral
 in the rubber barrel.  The spine goes under

  
 (buried sunflower).  Whose action is
 no stranger... pours forth from a window
 parallax – against complacency, woe,
 and violent paralysis.  Melchiz

  
 out of nowhere's whereabouts.  Stone
 vaults from mossy Mississippi lair –
 arrowheaded air headed your
 way, Hotspur Harry – your own

  
 land grant, swami saint – victorious
 viscous vapor eye!  Yours, the rube!
 Uppity now, mistletoed (up, stone tub!)
 Prance Petriarchy Pizzicat Nevarious,

  
 and regale them!  – all them,
 constant operator!  All them all together,
 veteran!  For the least fool measures
 the greeter amongst her – Miriam!

  
 Miracoloco!  Since Abraham Lincoln
 conned he was an Indian (check,
 by Jove) that showy Melchizedek
 has fibrillated nature's joy, my son –

  
 and though you rum from-toward the swine
 your pain of shame – run home again now!
 Earth hath need against this rage slow
 lights – lights, ghost!  For from brine

  
 of Superior comes your native wrestler,
 Jacob – as I sack your situation for a mini-
 millennial secular thanksdiver, honey:
 Massa saw!  A real Ur way trestler!

       
                          3.3.99