Classic Poem

You entered a building I could
Not enter. You passed the smiling
attendants (lackeys) at the door each of
whom had a word for you — you
the faithful, you the devoted — and I
the unfaithful, the undevoted had nothing
for you but silence and to be
silent this day was to be a
clear blue sky shrieking in
the ears of a madman — I am
happy — I am happy — somebody
painted me blue and I can't
make clouds out of nothing —
To have clouds one must be more
than a man or woman looking at the
sun through smoked glasses. And I
am a poet. I am in spite of this
not always unhappy. After all
I can eat cheese and drink good wine.

I sit here waiting. You would not
see me if you came because I
cannot say good morning or good evening
and I have no flowers to sell cheap.
I am only aware of my own
desires and what I know.
I want to see you come out of
the building, I want to see your
body, as a familiar blooming,
come like the hand of an artist
to change this square — this damnable
space between you and me — from
journalism to literature.

Between us are hats and gloves
and parasols and pearl necklaces
and pearl rings and silken
stockings hard and cold with
elegant legs and a
sea of pink undying flesh
that shifts and changes and remains
to smooth its petticoats and trousers —

To be alone with one's own heart
is to be alone. To be alone with
one's sorrow is to be merely
a person awaiting a friend.
There are friends for every grief
and misfortune. There is no one to drink
with a man who sits alone
with his own heart.

You are neither flesh nor
anger nor flower nor woman
nor wall between myself and
thyself ... I am a poet
in this place where there is
no poetry and no poets but
only people going going going
in their best clothes to keep
an engagement on time —

I would ask you —
If a woman passes how many men
lift their eyes,
how many women?
If a child dies
what is changed —
How many people drink too much?
I have a word for everything
except noise and silence
before these
I am a public taxi-driver
a man in search of a job
a man without a wife
a girl with no lovers...