pederasty

Howl

AllenGinsburg

I

Isawthebestmindsofmygenerationdestroyedby

madness,starvinghystericalnaked,

draggingthemlvesthroughthenegrostreetsatdawn

lookingforanangryfix,

angelheadedhipstersburningfortheancientheavenly

connectiontothestarrydynamointhemachin-

eryofnight,

whopovertyandtattersandhollow-eyedandhighsat

upsmokinginthesupernaturaldarknessof

cold-waterflatsfloatingacrossthetopsofcities

contemplatingjazz,

whobaredtheirbrainstoHeavenundertheEland

sawMohammedanangelsstaggeringontene-

mentroofsilluminated,

whopasdthroughuniversitieswithradiantcooleyes

hallucinatingArkansasandBlake-lighttragedy

amongthescholarsofwar,

whowereexpelledfromtheacademiesforcrazy&

publishingobsceneodesonthewindowsofthe

skull,

whocoweredinunshavenroomsinunderwear,burn-

ingtheirmoneyinwastebasketsandlistening

totheTerrorthroughthewall,

whogotbustedintheirpubicbeardsreturningthrough

LaredowithabeltofmarijuanaforNewYork,

whoatefireinpainthotelsordrankturpentinein

ParadiAlley,death,orpurgatoriedtheir

torsosnightafternight

withdreams,withdrugs,withwakingnightmares,al-

coholandcockandendlessballs,

incomparableblind;streetsofshudderingcloudand

lightninginthemindleapingtowardpolesof

Canada&Paterson,illuminatingallthemo-

tionlessworldofTimebetween,

Peyotesoliditiesofhalls,backyardgreentreecemetery

dawns,winedrunkennessovertherooftops,

storefrontboroughsofteaheadjoyrideneon

blinkingtrafficlight,sunandmoonandtree

vibrationsintheroaringwinterdusksofBrook-

lyn,ashcanrantingsandkindkinglightofmind,

whochainedthemlvestosubwaysfortheendless

ridefromBatterytoholyBronxonbenzedrine

untilthenoiofwheelsandchildrenbrought

themdownshudderingmouth-wrackedand

batteredbleakofbrainalldrainedofbrilliance

inthedrearlightofZoo,

whosankallnightinsubmarinelightofBickford's

floatedoutandsatthroughthestalebeerafter

noonindesolateFugazzi's,listeningtothecrack

ofdoomonthehydrogenjukebox,

whotalkedcontinuouslyventyhoursfromparkto

padtobartoBellevuetomuumtotheBrook-

lynBridge,

lostbattalionofplatonicconversationalistsjumping

downthestoopsofffireescapesoffwindowsills

offEmpireStateoutofthemoon,

yacketayakkingscreamingvomitingwhisperingfacts

andmemoriesandanecdotesandeyeballkicks

andshocksofhospitalsandjailsandwars,

wholeintellectsdisgorgedintotalrecallforvendays

andnightswithbrillianteyes,meatforthe

Synagoguecastonthepavement,

whovanishedintonowhereZenNewJeryleavinga

trailofambiguouspicturepostcardsofAtlantic

CityHall,

sufferingEasternsweatsandTangerianbone-grind-

ingsandmigrainesofChinaunderjunk-with-

drawalinNewark'sbleakfurnishedroom,

whowanderedaroundandaroundatmidnightinthe

railroadyardwonderingwheretogo,andwent,

leavingnobrokenhearts,

wholitcigarettesinboxcarsboxcarsboxcarsracketing

throughsnowtowardlonesomefarmsingrand-

fathernight,

theCrosstelep-

athyandbopkabbalahbecauthecosmosin-

stinctivelyvibratedattheirfeetinKansas,

wholoneditthroughthestreetsofIdahoekingvis-

ionaryindianangelswhowerevisionaryindian

angels,

whothoughttheywereonlymadwhenBaltimore

gleamedinsupernaturalecstasy,

whojumpedinlimousineswiththeChinamanofOkla-

homaontheimpulofwintermidnightstreet

lightsmalltownrain,

wholoungedhungryandlonesomethroughHouston

ekingjazzorxorsoup,andfollowedthe

brilliantSpaniardtoconveraboutAmerica

andEternity,ahopelesstask,andsotookship

toAfrica,

whodisappearedintothevolcanoesofMexicoleaving

behindnothingbuttheshadowofdungarees

andthelavaandashofpoetryscatteredinfire

placeChicago,

whoreappearedontheWestCoastinvestigatingthe

dsandshortswithbigpacifist

eyesxyintheirdarkskinpassingoutincom-

prehensibleleaflets,

whoburnedcigaretteholesintheirarmsprotesting

thenarcotictobaccohazeofCapitalism,

whodistributedSupercommunistpamphletsinUnion

Squareweepingandundressingwhilethesirens

ofLosAlamoswailedthemdown,andwailed

downWall,andtheStatenIslandferryalso

wailed,

whobrokedowncryinginwhitegymnasiumsnaked

andtremblingbeforethemachineryofother

skeletons,

whobitdetectivesintheneckandshriekedwithdelight

inpolicecarsforcommittingnocrimebuttheir

ownwildcookingpederastyandintoxication,

whohowledontheirkneesinthesubwayandwere

draggedofftheroofwavinggenitalsandmanu-

scripts,

wholetthemlvesbefuckedintheassbysaintly

motorcyclists,andscreamedwithjoy,

whoblewandwereblownbythohumanraphim,

thesailors,caressofAtlanticandCaribbean

love,

whoballedinthemorningintheeveningsinro

gardensandthegrassofpublicparksand

cemeteriesscatteringtheirmenfreelyto

whomevercomewhomay,

whohiccupedendlesslytryingtogigglebutwoundup

withasobbehindapartitioninaTurkishBath

whentheblond&nakedangelcametopierce

themwithasword,

wholosttheirloveboystothethreeoldshrewsoffate

theoneeyedshrewoftheheteroxualdollar

theoneeyedshrewthatwinksoutofthewomb

andtheoneeyedshrewthatdoesnothingbut

sitonherassandsniptheintellectualgolden

threadsofthecraftsman'sloom,

whocopulatedecstaticandinsatiatewithabottleof

beerasweetheartapackageofcigarettesacan-

dleandfelloffthebed,andcontinuedalong

theflooranddownthehallandendedfainting

onthewallwithavisionofultimatecuntand

comeeludingthelastgyzymofconsciousness,

whosweetenedthesnatchesofamilliongirlstrembling

inthesunt,andwereredeyedinthemorning

butpreparedtosweetenthesnatchofthesun

ri,flashingbuttocksunderbarnsandnaked

inthelake,

whowentoutwhoringthroughColoradoinmyriad

stolennight-cars,N.C.,cretheroofthe

poems,cocksmanandAdonisofDenver-joy

tothememoryofhisinnumerablelaysofgirls

inemptylots&dinerbackyards,moviehous'

ricketyrows,onmountaintopsincavesorwith

gauntwaitressinfamiliarroadsidelonelypet-

ticoatupliftings&especiallycretgas-station

solipsismsofjohns,&hometownalleystoo,

whofadedoutinvastsordidmovies,wereshiftedin

dreams,wokeonasuddenManhattan,and

pickedthemlvesupoutofbamentshung

overwithheartlessTokayandhorrorsofThird

Avenueirondreams&stumbledtounemploy-

mentoffices,

whowalkedallnightwiththeirshoesfullofbloodon

thesnowbankdockswaitingforadoorinthe

EastRivertoopentoaroomfullofsteamheat

andopium,

whocreatedgreatsuicidaldramasontheapartment

cliff-banksoftheHudsonunderthewartime

bluefloodlightofthemoon&theirheadsshall

becrownedwithlaurelinoblivion,

whoatethelambstewoftheimaginationordigested

thecrabatthemuddybottomoftheriversof

Bowery,

whoweptattheromanceofthestreetswiththeir

pushcartsfullofonionsandbadmusic,

whosatinboxesbreathinginthedarknessunderthe

bridge,androuptobuildharpsichordsin

theirlofts,

whocoughedonthesixthfloorofHarlemcrowned

withflameunderthetubercularskysurrounded

byorangecratesoftheology,

whoscribbledallnightrockingandrollingoverlofty

incantationswhichintheyellowmorningwere

stanzasofgibberish,

whocookedrottenanimalslungheartfeettailborsht

&tortillasdreamingofthepurevegetable

kingdom,

whoplungedthemlvesundermeattruckslookingfor

anegg,

whothrewtheirwatchesofftherooftocasttheirballot

forEternityoutsideofTime,&alarmclocks

fellontheirheadverydayforthenextdecade,

whocuttheirwriststhreetimessuccessivelyunsuccess-

fully,gaveupandwereforcedtoopenantique

storeswheretheythoughttheyweregrowing

oldandcried,

whowereburnedaliveintheirinnocentflannelsuits

onMadisonAvenueamidblastsofleadenver

&thetanked-upclatteroftheironregiments

offashion&thenitroglycerineshrieksofthe

fairiesofadvertising&themustardgasofsinis-

terintelligenteditors,orwererundownbythe

drunkentaxicabsofAbsoluteReality,

whojumpedofftheBrooklynBridgethisactuallyhap-

penedandwalkedawayunknownandforgotten

intotheghostlydazeofChinatownsoupalley

ways&firetrucks,notevenonefreebeer,

whosangoutoftheirwindowsindespair,felloutof

thesubwaywindow,jumpedinthefilthyPas-

saic,leapedonnegroes,criedalloverthestreet,

dancedonbrokenwineglassbarefootsmashed

phonographrecordsofnostalgicEuropean

1930sGermanjazzfinishedthewhiskeyand

threwupgroaningintothebloodytoilet,moans

intheirearsandtheblastofcolossalsteam

whistles,

whobarreleddownthehighwaysofthepastjourneying

toeachother'shotrod-Golgothajail-solitude

watchorBirminghamjazzincarnation,

whodrovecrosscountryventytwohourstofindout

ifIhadavisionoryouhadavisionorhehad

avisiontofindoutEternity,

whojourneyedtoDenver,whodiedinDenver,who

camebacktoDenver&waitedinvain,who

watchedoverDenver&brooded&lonedin

Denverandfinallywentawaytofindoutthe

Time,&nowDenverislonesomeforherheroes,

whofellontheirkneesinhopelesscathedralspraying

foreachother'ssalvationandlightandbreasts,

untilthesoulilluminateditshairforacond,

whocrashedthroughtheirmindsinjailwaitingfor

impossiblecriminalswithgoldenheadsandthe

charmofrealityintheirheartswhosangsweet

bluestoAlcatraz,

whoretiredtoMexicotocultivateahabit,orRocky

MounttotenderBuddhaorTangierstoboys

orSouthernPacifictotheblacklocomotiveor

HarvardtoNarcissustoWoodlawntothe

daisychainorgrave,