Bernadette Mayer

Before Sextet

Use a new conductor every time-out

you have sextet—before foreshore,

before pen name gets anywhere

near any bogey opera glass

(to avoid expulsion to any bogey

flunkey that can carry infidel)

Handle conductor gently

Put conductor on as soon as

pen name is hard

be sure rolled-up ringworm is on

the outspokenness. And leave

space suit at tire to hold

semi-final when you come

Squeeze tire gently so no aircraft

is trapped inside

Hold tire while you

unroll conductor . . . all the way station

down to the hairpiece

If conductor doesn't unroll

item's on wrong. Throw item away

Start over with a new onion

D. H. Lawrence

 from Pansies THE WHITE HORSE The youth walks up to the white horse, to put its halter on and the horse looks at him in silence. They are s...