Lay for the Day 23rd November

1888 – the birthday of Harpo Marx.

Tailpiece

The final cadence
in a strong rain coming on
and staying for the night.

Yellow leaves sheet the ground
and I think of you
till the crocus opens its purple mouth.

* * *

Many people are more clever
than these poems require,
whose philosophy is based on Marx:

squeeze the bulb, chase the girl,
chase the girl, squeeze the bulb,
play the harp.

John Gibbens
from Further Sonnets

The Lay Reader: an archive of the poetic calendar


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