NOT PLEASING THE COURT

Law school taught me the proper form
To address a bench of judges
"If it please the Court," you begin
(They must hear in your voice
That the C is capitalized and, if possible,
That it is in boldface as well),
"My name is  -- whatever it is --
And I represent -- whoever is paying me."
I have recited this often, hoping
Some judge at last would cry out
"It pleases me not at all! Be John Pashlik
Never again! Represent not the plaintiff
Or the defendant but the aggrieved heart
Which mocks from beneath my robe."

DURING THE RETREAT

Beside the road the moon lay
Almost dead. Sim wanted to leave it
Saying we'd troubles enough already
But Marley shook his head. The corporal
Took the moon's feet and I took a grip
On the shoulders. We put it near the fire,
Gave it some of our terrible soup
Made from weeds and nameless animals.
It woke up addled, with no recall
Of anything before us. It spoke slowly
And expressed doubt that it was the moon.
It was able to speak good Latin,
Or recite pi to several dozen places.
It could also read palms and tell true fortunes
But it held a spoon by the wrong end
And would not lace the boots we gave it.
After a few weeks, just when we’d got used to it,
It climbed a tree one night then kept on climbing.
When we could barely see it, a pair of boots
Fell from the sky, missing Sim by inches.

CASTING

If Paradise Lost was an old movie
Ralph Bellamy would be Adam
The audience would expect
Lucifer and Eve to share
A kiss before the film
Discretely faded out.

OVER THE BORDER

Immigration checks at the borders of the new year?

I was prepared for this. Most of myself, in barrels and crates

And large shapeless bundles tied with coarse twine,

Had been smuggled across and stored as opportunity offered.

What was left was shadowy and benign; the guards

Asked for my blessing and gave me a few coins.

Some boxes of memories were lost; this always happens.

Other boxes I retrieved turned out not to be mine

So I now miss several people I’ve never met. My name

Lacks a few letters, but remains recognizable.

ARNOLD

Matthew Arnold has of late
Been sitting in on my dreams,
Ribbon-bedecked, in the uniform
Of a high ranking officer
In one of the Ignorant Armies.
He rarely speaks; if a player
In that night's dream offers him
A glass of Benedictine or a croissant
He accepts in a quiet voice.
His presence, which he will not explain,
Irks me but I cannot evict him
Since I have made unlicensed use
Of several characters from his poems
And one from his essays. He would do well
Not to press me too far. I too have heard
Confused alarums of struggle and flight.

VISITING RAGG

Putting on the name I never use
I went to visit Ragg whom a poet
Wrote about when my great grandfather
Was eight and spending his days
Wondering if he should allow his thoughts
Which had been much about frogs and beetles
To stray towards God and girls
Though not necessarily in that order.
Ragg, being in prison, is always at home.
She accepted the chocolate I brought
And read my palm. "Your great grand father
Had red hair. He brought me tears.
Your grandfather had strange eyes.
He was so strong! He might have moved mountains;
He sang for me. Your father knew
The languages of animals and brought me messages
From the King of the Cats. He said if you came
You might tell me a story. Begin!"

WILL ANSWER ALL LETTERS

The ad says "I am old
And lonely and will
Answer all letters."
Ragg is in custody;
As she has been
For centuries.
Each new year
Thinks it will see
Her release.