176
A Virginal
Well,then. And,a,v,virgin.
Well,then. And,a,y,virgin.
Well,then. And,a,z,virgin.
The,v,virgins,are,more,virtuous,
Than,the,z,virgins.
The,z,virgins,are,swifter,
For,their,z’s,are,quicker.
The,y,virgins,are,shyest,youngest,
But,O,they,tell.
Well,then. And,a,y,virgin.
Well,then. And,a,z,virgin.
Well,then. And,a,v,virgin.
But,all,all,shall,become,x,virgins.
177
A,piece,of,coffee,a,piece,of,rose,
That’s,all,for,breakfast,that’s,all!
178
Moonlight’s,watermelon,mellows,light,
Mellowly. Water,mellows,moon,lightly.
Water,mellows,melons,brightly.
Moonlight’s,mellow,to,water’s,sight.
Yes,and,water,mellows,soon,
Quick,as,mellows,the,mellow,moon.
Water,mellows,as,mellows,melody,
Moon,has,its,mellow,secrecy.
Moonlight’s,moon,has,the,mellow,
Secrecy,of,mellowing,water’s,water-
Melons,mellowly. Moonlight’s,a,mellow,
Mellower,being,moon’s,mellow,daughter.
Moonlight’s,melody,alone,has,secrecy,
To,make,watermelons,sweet,and,juicy.
179
The,caprice,of,canteloupes,is,to,be,
Sweet,or,not,sweet,—
To,create,suspense. A,return,
To,Greek,drama.
Their,dramaturgy,is,not,in,the,sweet,
Soil,but,in,the,eye,
Of,birds,the,pure,eye,that,decides,
To,bestow,or,
To,withhold. Shall,I,be,sweet,or,
Not,sweet?—looking,
Up,at,your,face. Till,sudden:
I,will,be,sweet!
180
David,fourteen,fifteen,a,little,pepper,and,fox,
As,tall,as,tall,only,littler,only,bigger:
Enough,of,description.
In,this,green,morning,a,dot,in,the,center,it’s,
Spring,remember,only,greener,only,newer:
Enough,of,the,season.
In,this,green,morning,David,fourteen,fifteen,a,
Littler,taller,a,littler,wiser,only,littler,bigger:
Spied,ah,Maryanne,
Ah,Maryanne,thirteen,fourteen,a,littler,golder,a,
Wiser,pepper,and,fox,only,lovelier,golder:
Ah,enough,of,enough.
181
A,cat,having,attained,ninehood,
Shall,fear,ninthhood!
A,rule,to,prove,catness,
Or,negation,of,cathood.
Catness,cats,and,nineness,proves.
Ninthless,cats,prove,
Immortal,cats.
Wherefore,Ninthhood,is,
Is,to,be,feared,
This,step,to,Ten!
So,cats,also,count,Ten.
The Emperor’s New Sonnet