Classic Poem

I am yet the Gross National Product & embrace all things until none is trivial
listen to the radio rapt

Life.
What's that?
A magazine.
What's it cost?
Ten cents.
I've only got a nickel.

I am your gross national product & embrace all things
go everywhere—

Attila ruled Huns Eormanric Goths
Becca Banings Burgundians Gifica
Caesar ruled Greeks & Caelic Fins
Hagena Holmrycs & Heoden Gloms
Witta ruled Swaefs Wada Selfings
Meaca Myrgings Mearchealf Hundings
Theodoric ruled Franks Thyle Rondings
Breoca Brondings Billing Werns
Oswine ruled Eows & Yts Gefwulf
Fin Folcwalding Frisian kind
Sigehere longtime ruled Sea-Danes
Hnaef Hokings Helm Wulfings
Saeferth Sycs Swedes Ongendtheow
Strindberg in Stockholm another Swede
Sceafthere Ymbers Sceafa Longbeards
Hun Haetweras & Holen Wrosns
Herefaras' king was called Hringweald
Edward the Eighth for a year in England
Offa ruled Angeln Alewih Danes
most kaiserly of all these kings catalogued
yet he over Offa no sovereignty exercised
for Offa fought earliest of all
when just a kid for kingdoms most.
Harmon my father William Richard
Harmon his father Charles Richard
his father known but hardly a Harmon
so grossly am I a great-grand-bastard
& I was with Huns & with Hreth-Goths
with Swedes & Geats & with South Danes
drank beer in Prague & played much poker
with Wenlas I was & with Waernas & with vikings
best of men & boldest boatswains
with Gefthas I was & with Winedas & with Gefflegas
I was with Angles & Swaefs & with Aenenas
I fought in France in forty-four
& in sixty-six in South Vietnam
with Saxons I was & Sycgs & with Sweord-weras
here Harmon had a hell of a time
with Hrons I was & with Deans & with Heatho-Reamas
with Thyrings I was & with Throwends
went abroad on board the destroyer O'Bannon
& with Burgundians who gave me this ring
prize-present for poems a welcome award
(no stingy king, that) & I might mention
a fat fellowship from Ford's Foundation
with Franks I was & with Frisians & with Frumtings
with Rugs & Gloms & with Rum-Wealhs I was
& I was in Italy with Aelfwine & (let me see)
in Louisiana also land of Longs
& Rockefeller running Little Rock
with Serkings I was & with Serings
with Greeks I was & with Fins & with Caesar
who was Führer there of “felicitous metropolises”
gold & good times & of Walas' realm
with Scots I was & Picts & with Scrid-Fins
& drank most deeply with those dear lords
& tallest tales were told in cups
with Lid-Vikings & Leons & with Lombards I was
with Haethens & Haeleths & Hundings I was
with Israelites I was & with Ex-Syrings
with Hebrews & Indian Indians & with Egyptians
who stole my shoes & all three socks
with Medes & Persians I was & with Myrgings
(“How nice,” said the matron: “my mother was a Mead.”)
& Mofdings & again with Myrgings
& with Amothings with East Thyrings I was & with Eols
who subsist on beer & barely burned beef
& with Istas & Idumingas
& I was with Eormanric Goth king.

Have borne wind-burn & beat of bad weather
as the sense of space in a standing creature
facing forward into its future
lost at velocities cosmological
the marked red shift a sign of speed
like “down Doppler” distancing's index
reflecting itself in a fall of frequency
as a passing train drops a quarter tone
so made way among wonders deeper than waves
among colleges & cannibals a full career
fixed lance in foes stranger than fishes
but followed fish too for the fun thereof
Hethca I sought & Beadeca & Herelings
in southern hills home of Harmons
Emerca I sought & Fridla & East Goth
wise & virtuous Unwen's father
Secca I sought & Becca Seafola & Theodric
Heathoric & Sifeca Hlithe & Incgentheow
Eadwine I sought & Elsa Aegelmund & Hungar
Wulfhere I sought & Wyrmhere
with hard swords
Raedhere I sought & Rondhere Rumstan & Gislhere
Withergield & Freotheric & last & not least
Wudga & Hama of comrades-in-arms by no means the worst