Here, whence
all have departed orwill do, here airless, where
that witchy ball
wanted, fought toward, dreamed of, all a green living
drops limply into one’s hands
without pleasure or interest
Figurez-vous, a time swarms when the word
‘happy’ sheds its whole meaning, like to come and
like for memory too
That morning arrived to Henry as well a great cheque
eaten out already by the Government & State &
other strange matters
Gentle friendly Henry Pussy-cat
smiled into his mirror, a murderer’s
(at Stillwater), at himself alone
and said across a plink to that desolate fellow
said a little hail & buck-you-up
upon his triumph
(John Berryman)
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Based on Topics: Time Poems, Government PoemsBased on Keywords: mirror, gentle, memory, morning, triumph, fought, fellow, pleasure, whence, toward, matters