Archilochos In The Vineyards Of Thasos At Harvest Time

[burgundy stains but]

 

when [ ? ] grapes [blush]

and [   ] [   ] [   ] full-

 

[bodied] half-

[

[

[

naked Bacchus-

 

[soaked] maidens know

[

[

[no?] shame, may the

 

[manuscript here barely legible]

 

[

[

[

[goddess] help [me?]

 

[   ] [   ] [   ] [   ] I too

[

[

[

lust [   ] [   ] [   ] just

 

[evidence of violent shredding]

 

//////////////////

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

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[the] same

[

[

[

[

[

[

 

[series of large gaping holes]

 

OOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOO

 

Old Country Vignette, 1947

The big brother, next 

To the father, leaving 

The village for the new 

World, turning round, 

His arms outstretched, 

Crying out to the younger 

Standing motionless 

Next to the mother: Baby, 

Baby brother, why 

Won’t you fit into my pocket?

 

Take it Or Leave It

There is only one 

Reason one should 

 

Write poetry— 

One needs to. 

 

 

 

 

Unutterable Poetic Aural Disorder

Dear distinguished post- 

Modern colleagues—shout 

This dictum conundrum out 

 

Loud and clear 

If you can 

Hear it— 

 

Beyond silence there 

Can be no absence 

Of silence to speak of, 

 

Once the listener listening 

For the sound of his own 

Voice in the wilderness, 

 

Finally discovers 

It’s long gone over the hill, 

Taking his person with him. 

 

 

 

Emendating Diogenes The Dog

Who was said 

To have said so downright

Astutely all men think, 

 

But for some baffling 

Reason forgot to add 

Most of the time they

 

Just sit broodingly

Back on their haunches

And do nothing

 

But think they think.