Spring Song, Or Vernal Verses by Gwillim Law In spring a young man's fancy turns To thoughts of Eastertime sojourns. Since travel broadens, so they say, To Lauderdale they'll go away. In spring a young man's fancy turns My stomach; for he often yearns Toward females, and it gives me pain To see my friends become insane. In spring a young man's fancy turns In dancing class, where oft he learns To do the "Twist", remind one of A hand forced in too small a glove. In short, in spring the flowers bud; The buds, they flower; rivers flood; And floating on the torrents lazy, Most young men are going crazy. -The Purple Pennant, student newspaper at Cortland (N.Y.) High School, Feb. 9, 1962 ======================================= REFLECTIONS ON A BROKEN MIRROR VI R. G. "Anonymous" Law Quincuncial quondam equity, Quiescent in its quiddity, Acquitted the acuity Of quick quixotic quackery. Quiescent in its quiddity, Quadratic inequality Of quick quixotic quackery Created quaint cacophony. Quadratic inequality, Quintessence of liquidity, Created quaint cacophony, Ubiquitous iniquity. Quintessence of liquidity, The quizzical cold quantity Ubiquitous iniquity Concatenated quietly. -The East Campus Intruder, dormitory newspaper at M.I.T., March 24, 1966 Note: this verse form is a pantoum. ======================================= Great Epoch Poetry Despoiled She Was a Phantom of Delight by William Wordsworth She was a phantom of despair When first she got into my hair; A type of pixilated sprite With insect wings, and painted white. Her eyes like phenolphthalein which Has floating in it, from a ditch, Unearthed by workmen who proclaim In letters wreathed in purple flame, A clod of earth; her nose so big It's like the rudder on a brig;* A writhing witch, enraged withal, She tried to choke me with her shawl. *If this rhythm leaves you cold, try one of these alternates: ...her nose so large It's like the rudder on a barge; ...her nose so great It's like the rudder on a freight; ...her nose so wavy It's like the ladle in some gravy; ...her nose so fine It's like the wrinkles on your spine; ...her nose so huge It's like the rudder on a junk; etc. etc. -Neighborhood News (mimeographed newsletter), December 15, 1961 ======================================= Fluorescent Thoughts in a New lIGHT by Steven Inglis Law Xerxes Schlorg is dead. His dandruff marks his grave. Lifetime companions crowd around To see the peculiar sight, and rave, "I saw him the day he died," Then return to the background While the others cried. It was then that I came, And laughed at Xerxes' bloody fate. I saw twelve eyes and thought Xerxes will never see the pearly gates. As others left I sat down And noticed the wind-blown Clouds gathering in the sky Then I heard a noise of voices Coming nearer; it rejoices Finding me at my seat Something tempted me to move, But I dared not stand. Footsteps jounced the earth below. I found out, but was not quick to know That they were mourning me! -Neighborhood News, Feb. 30, 1961 (I can't help it, that's the date at the top of the page.) ======================================= Down There in the Arroyo Gwillim Law Down there in the arroyo You sweat in the evening chill. It's love that's making you boil And hate that makes the night so still. But who's to love? What's to hate? Why should I sit here and curse my fate? Where can I go to get a date, When the nearest town is Propriedad and it's seventy-nine miles away on the other side of the Cuhuacas River? It makes me shiver. With eighty head of cattle The llano is perfumed. They bandy ceaseless prattle Till your train of thought has resumed. But what's to say? what's to think? What's that running up my trousers leg, a skink? Where can I go for a good stiff drink, When there's nothing but a few prairie dogs and if I'm lucky a coyote between here and the Continental Divide? Makes me want to hide. Late 1969 ======================================= Heptameters by Gwillim Law Heptameters run in a stream, in a fluent denial of other existence, Advancing, receding, but never advancing within a consid'rable distance. They captivate, relegate other sensations. Reality has no resistance To help it withstand, undergo such an onslaught of fiery poetic persistence. ca. 1962 =======================================The Fisherman
The boy was fishing.
The boy who was fishing owned the dog.
The dog the boy who was fishing owned bit the farmer.
The farmer the dog the boy who was fishing owned bit got the gun.
The gun the farmer the dog the boy who was fishing owned bit got missed the dog.
The dog the gun the farmer the dog the boy who was fishing owned bit got missed chased the cat.
The cat the dog the gun the farmer the dog the boy who was fishing owned bit got missed chased caught the rat.
The rat the cat the dog the gun the farmer the dog the boy who was fishing owned bit got missed chased caught ate the cheese.
The cheese the rat the cat the dog the gun the farmer the dog the boy who was fishing owned bit got missed chased caught ate sickened the rat.
The rat the cheese the rat the cat the dog the gun the farmer the dog the boy who was fishing owned bit got missed chased caught ate sickened sickened the cat.
The cat the rat the cheese the rat the cat the dog the gun the farmer the dog the boy who was fishing owned bit got missed chased caught ate sickened sickened scratched the cow.
The cow the cat the rat the cheese the rat the cat the dog the gun the farmer the dog the boy who was fishing owned bit got missed chased caught ate sickened sickened scratched kicked the maid.
The maid the cow the cat the rat the cheese the rat the cat the dog the gun the farmer the dog the boy who was fishing owned bit got missed chased caught ate sickened sickened scratched kicked spilled the milk.
The milk the maid the cow the cat the rat the cheese the rat the cat the dog the gun the farmer the dog the boy who was fishing owned bit got missed chased caught ate sickened sickened scratched kicked spilled splashed the man.
The man the milk the maid the cow the cat the rat the cheese the rat the cat the dog the gun the farmer the dog the boy who was fishing owned bit got missed chased caught ate sickened sickened scratched kicked spilled splashed kissed the maid.
The maid the man the milk the maid the cow the cat the rat the cheese the rat the cat the dog the gun the farmer the dog the boy who was fishing owned bit got missed chased caught ate sickened sickened scratched kicked spilled splashed kissed slapped the man.
The man the maid the man the milk the maid the cow the cat the rat the cheese the rat the cat the dog the gun the farmer the dog the boy who was fishing owned bit got missed chased caught ate sickened sickened scratched kicked spilled splashed kissed slapped cursed the darkness.
The darkness the man the maid the man the milk the maid the cow the cat the rat the cheese the rat the cat the dog the gun the farmer the dog the boy who was fishing owned bit got missed chased caught ate sickened sickened scratched kicked spilled splashed kissed slapped cursed swallowed him up.
Oh, the darkness the man the maid the man the milk the maid the cow the cat the rat the cheese the rat the cat the dog the gun the farmer the dog the boy who was fishing owned bit got missed chased caught ate sickened sickened scratched kicked spilled splashed kissed slapped cursed swallowed him up.
Yes, the darkness the man the maid the man the milk the maid the cow the cat the rat the cheese the rat the cat the dog the gun the farmer the dog the boy who was fishing owned bit got missed chased caught ate sickened sickened scratched kicked spilled splashed kissed slapped cursed swallowed him up,
While the boy fished on.
ca. 1978
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