Nights

Nights
______________

Nights
Hart Crane
Black Star
____________

Nights

I’m not a poet—
Gertrude Stein told me
And I believed her

But at this point—
There’s no place for
Nonsense or mystery

How shameful of me—
A mature adult still
Publishing poetry

Foolish I suppose—
No longer listening
To what Gertrude said
_______________________________

Hart Crane

Was he aware—
Of the incredible
Deviousness of his words?

He must have been—
Since he didn’t hesitate
To use them at the end

Waving goodbye to—
The Orizaba passengers
Gawking down at him

Saying goodbye to—
All the sharks onboard
Hello to sharks of the sea
_______________________________

Black Star

Eye of Prufrock—
Pair of ragged claws
Uninvolved spectator

Scuttling down there—
Across ancient floors
Of dead silent seas

Wastelands come—
And wastelands go
Bye bye Miss Eliot

A black star appears—
A point of darkness
In the night sky

Point of darkness—
Gateway to repose
Pierce sheltering sky