FIVE ETUDES

ONE

There once was a man with a terrible obsession:
"My aim in life is to kiss nobody's ass," & so
he killed them (right) and he killed them (left)
and he killed them (all) till NOT ONE remained
in The Whole Wide World & then he kissed the asses
free & wild & he kissed'em asses all The While!

TWO

Unlike the foil so finely braid
with needless bows, th'purest blade
serves best of all
to shatter th'sturdiest human skull.

There is no Bottom --quite entirely Unique.
Neither is there a greatest Peak:
The More we find the More we need to seek;
the more we say the more we need to speak

THREE

the Wind replies--at once--when all th'stars
are turned the other way
so it is not his fault the World hears
only his wake replay

th'murmuring, murmuring Wisdom of Day
& quick acumen of forest-sounds
but like a melody in portray
of little that's profound

FOUR

the Autumn is a war of leaves
th'World wages
fallen from the firmament--It loosely grieves
in disconcerted pages ...

FIVE

& out of the Woods the foliage scoops
the early morning Sun
& tosses him up to th'skies again
an emerald done ¹⁰³