Jack Babcock “I.M. Prism”
By D. S. Mitchell
Hospitalized
A friend of www.calamitypolitics.com is in the hospital. Jack Babcock has schizophrenia, but right now he is fighting another battle. He has been diagnosed with kidney failure. Hopefully, his doctors will get him back on his feet soon. Dialysis has offered many years of life to people who are unable to have a kidney transplant. At this point we are not sure what the way forward will bring, but I thought it would be an appropriate time to share several of Jack’s poems from his book, I.M. Prism. Jack graduated from U of O with a degree in English and he went on to Lewis and Clark law school. Although passing his courses, he became too sick to practice law. Please enjoy Jack’s quirky take on life, and the deep pain of his mental illness.
Being smart and doing all the right things doesn’t protect you from mental illness.
Brown Door
the brown door is shut……
I’m mentally ill. I smash the door, howl and scream.
Let me out of this madhouse quoth I.
and behind the brown door are lunatics.
drooling, sneezing, coughing, playing
with themselves.
what do they need?
just not to be put behind the brown door.
they need sunshine and music, laughter.
but, the brown door is shut.
********
Sweet Julia
i compared you
to a movie star
you balked
said you weren’t that attractive
is it possible
you don’t know how pretty you are
Julia
i told someone
i write you letters, poems
they thought that was sweet and kind
nothing of the sort
i do what i have to do
i feel i must write to you
looking at things
my aunt left me
an utrillo print
a few rings
a spode china set
all so pretty
so real, i love them, i loved my aunt
and there is you
my dear
i think i love you too.
*******
Well
yotta yotta yata
so it goes
pornography or poetry
yadda yadda ya
whats the diff
it seems important to smile
death has no
yadda yatta
freedom and obscurity
yotta yotta ya
what now my love?
yotta ya.