Dream Song 118: He wondered: Do I love? all this applause by John Berryman
He wondered: Do I love? all this applause, young beauties sitting at my feet & all, and all. It tires me out, he pondered: I'm tempted to break laws and love myself, or the stupid questions asked me move me to homicide—
so many beauties, one on either side, the wall's behind me, into which I crawl out of my repeating voice— the mike folds down, the foolish askers fall over theirselves in an audience of ashes and Henry returns to rejoice
in dark & and still, and one sole beauty only who never walked near Henry while the mob was at him like a club: she saw through things, she saw that he was lonely and waited while he hid behind the wall and all.
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