Poetics by Howard Nemerov
You know the old story Ann Landers tells About the houseife in her basement doing the wash? She's wearing her nightie, and she thinks, "Well, hell, I might's well put this in as well," and then Being dripped on by a leaky pipe puts on Her son's football helmet; whereupon The meter reader happens to walk through and "Lady," he gravely says, "I sure hope your team wins."
A story many times told in many ways, The set of random accidents redeemed By one more accident, as though chaos Were the order that was before the creation came. That is the way things happen in the world: A joke, a disappointment satisfied, As we walk through doing our daily round, Reading the meter, making things add up.
|