Death of Weldon Kees

By a tree like a pregnant woman—
Its trunk swollen, yet hollow inside—
I was somehow thinking of Weldon
On the fatal day that he died.

By the Golden Gate bridge they’d found
His car parked with the keys inside,
So they treated his disappearance
As a probable suicide.

Many times I can see the ocean
And that place where he finally died,
As I hear the wind sing his poems,
Shining bright like the stars in the sky.

He was thinking of moving to Mexico—
In a way he was probably right—
Yes, America’s full of glitter
With the high rate of homicides.

I can see him writing a poem
Of a businessman losing his dreams
Or some mad and destitute woman—
Once a star on the Hollywood screen.

I can see him flamboyant and charming,
With dry wit and a caustic grin,
Saying: “Dear ladies and gentlemen,
Let this pointless show begin.”


            November 20, 2003
        --Alexander Shaumyan

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Weldon Kees was born on February 24, 1914, in Beatrice, Nebraska, and was an American poet, painter, musician, and filmmaker. He disappeared on July 18, 1955, and is often associated with the Beat Generation, known for his influential poetry and complex exploration of societal themes.