"GOOD LUCK, CAPTAIN MARTIN"

The following poems are excerpted from Richard Brautigan's book of poems, "Loading Mercury with a Pitchfork." I loved the interconnectedness of them all and, 'cuz the book is out of print, wanted to share 'em here:


GOOD LUCK, CAPTAIN MARTIN

Part 1

We all waved as his boat
sailed away. The old people
cried. The children were
restless.



PEOPLE ARE CONSTANTLY
MAKING ENTRANCES

Part 2

People are constantly making entrances
into entrances by entering themselves
through houses, bowling alleys and planetariums,
restaurants, movie theaters, office, factories,
mountains and Laundromats, etc., entrances
into entrances, etc., accompanied by themselves.

Captain Martin watches
the waves go by.

That’s his entrance
into himself.



THE BOTTLE

Part 3

A child stands motionless.
he holds a bottle in his hands.
There’s a ship in the bottle.
He stares at it with eyes
that do not blink.
He wonders where a tiny ship
can sail to if it is held
prisoner in a bottle.
Fifty years from now you will
find out, Captain Martin,
for the sea (large as it is)
is only another bottle.



SMALL CRAFT WARNINGS

Part 4

Small craft warnings mean nothing to Captain Martin
…nothing…
Like somebody deliberately choosing not to look
out the window, so the window remains empty.



FAMOUS PEOPLE AND THEIR FRIENDS

Part 5

Famous people and their friends
get to go to places where you
can only imagine what they are doing.

I was at a party two nights ago*
and a famous person was there.

When he left five or six people left
with him.

There was a great deal of excitement
at their departure as there always is
the room was filled with the breathing
of searchlights and chocolate ice cream
cones and private jet airplanes.

Everybody wanted to go with them
to mysterious places like film studio
palaces in Atlantis and dance halls
on the dark side of undiscovered moons
where everything happens and you are
a very important part of it
and you are there.


*where is Captin Martin?



CAROL THE WAITRESS
REMEMBERS STILL

Part 6

Yes, that’s the table where Captain Martin
sat. Yes, that one. By the window.
He would sit there alone for hours at
a time, staring out at the sea. He always
had one plain doughnut and a cup of coffee.
I don’t know what he was looking at.



PUT THE COFFEE ON, BUBBLES,
I’M COMING HOME

Part 7

Everybody’s coming home
except Captain Martin.