MINORS

As part of our program
Of cultural outreach
Zheng Qi, a minor poet
Of the Tang dynasty,
Will chair a discussion
With minor Georgian poet
Lascelles Abercrombie,
And minor Greek poet
Erinna of Lesbos.
It is advisable
To arrive early.
There are no microphones
Abercrombie mutters
And we have no translator
For Zheng Qi. Errina
Intends to stay silent,
Protesting Fate
For allowing
Only four lines
Of all her poems
To survive. We will,
As always,
Serve refreshments
But they will not
Be very satisfying.

MINOR GEORGIANS

A delegation of Minor Georgian Poets
Were, the message said, trying to contact me
I yield to no man in my fondness for Lascelles Abercrombie
Nor am I without regard for Sir John Squire who must
Stagger towards eternity bearing the heavy weight
Of Virginia Woolf's disdain. Still, a tryst with them
Would, I knew, leave me writing wistfully for a month after.
Reluctantly, I arranged to meet them at the ghost of a Needicks
Which, until it was razed, had operated in the shadow
Of the Third Avenue El. Rupert Brooke spoke most;
Old Robert Graves refused to be seen with Eddie Marsh
So had sent his younger self who ate three hamburgers
Two of them with cheese and one with extra onions.
None of them had American money, so I paid
Not forgetting to tip the semi-transparent waiter.