At first he was Little J.A. in a Prospect of Flowers
But he kept on doing it and by the end he was in
The Library of America – two volumes, mind you.
“Here a scarf flies, there an excited call is heard,”
That’s his best line I believe, but “Attention, shoppers”
Is also wonderful and there are so many good ones.
Some might say that “mild effects are the result”
Sums up his oeuvre but I certainly don’t agree
And if I ever said that it was just to get his goat
As the shadows lengthened and we were wondering
If man is horrible, for instance, as he wrote in
“These Lacustrine Cities.” Once I recalled to him
His recommendation of years past that I read
The poetry of Muriel Rukeyser and he replied,
“Are you sure it was me?” with that sly grin and
The hint of insinuation like old wine that has
Almost turned to water except there’s something
Still going on there, but what? Or is it just you?
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