8
1
Do not sway thus from side to side thin young
woman with one breast the left, crushing a book against
this. I, utterly 'curious shall walk behind thee monster.
It will, doubtless, take many quibbling miles before I
have gulped thee, whole, into my system. Let us walk
a little further and all will be very simple.
2
If I, you, the mussels, the oysters, the ham, the
lobster, the artichoke, should all yawn and agree that
it were time to get up and march across the tables
form a procession and crawl thoughtfully into the
street order sunlight a flourish an electric baton a zebra
in advance an elephant supporting the rear — would
they then disagree with us? would they be willing to
consider another point of view and lay it before us
reasonably ? ^
Returning at evening to my dear door in the
courtyard my knees trembling with exhaustion, here
where* no flowers have begun burgeoning, nothing
commenced clasping my senses (I am about yearning
for the brown old streets again with the high walls
I have just left: the Street of the Honest Burgher, the
Street of the Wooden Sword, the Street of the Four
Daugthers as well as that of the Four Winds where
I promenaded modifying my conceptions to conform
with just and mild skepticisms), I am now burning to
test my knowledge of the way in their evening aspect
(could the method fail?) when the peaceful nunneries
of the grilled windows would pose new and arresting
riddles; thence to return to my door with my pausing
and reflective key to consider it all again and turn or
turn the key.
4*
I shall not grow bald; whatsoever,
1 shall hang on to my hair by the hair.
MATTHEW JOSEPHSON
* Dedicated to G. B. M.