The Ides of March [by David Lehman]

The Ides of March

The origin of every fortune is a crime.
The ides of March are a dangerous time.

The ideas of March originate in wind.
Madness may spring from a mind that hasn’t sinned.

The guides of March have scary stories to tell.
The family money came from a corpse and an oil well.

The editors of March fly to the moon and bring back April.
The original sinner has learned to shave and say “I will.”

You can trace each legacy back to the day
when the id of March exposed the ego’s feet of clay.

The dice of March roll on the green felt tabletop.
The suicides of March drive past the octagonal sign: Stop!

On the dais of March sit the deceased father and mother.
Every happy family is different from every other.

from The Atlantic (March 2011)

Comments

[David Schloss]

Thanks, David, for this extremely witty, cogent and tonic poem. --March Heir

[David Lehman]

Thank you, David Schloss. For this comment -- and for "The Heartbreak as an Ancient Instrument."

[Terence Winch]

Thanks, David. Was it Paul Violi who wrote: "Beware the March of Dimes!"

[Angela Ball]

David, thanks for posting this brilliant poem. Especially love "when the id of March exposed the ego's feet of clay." And the boffo last couplet.

[David Lehman]

Thanks, Angela. This was an enjoyable poem to write!