Hypnagogic Poem

[Juan Cruz]

“William and Mary”

The library in this unwashed town had an exhibit

of little booklets in the pouches of a pall-like memorial clothe.

These Baedekers of a vulnerable sort;

had been laid out on a table, to this end

-- that I might show them to a native.

One was a booklet of Mary Oliver’s poems.

I opined Mary with biographical,

geographical enthusiasm and pride.

Mary had used a fountain pen

and water colored each page

Here, Blakean sheep in ink,

a wet-on-wet bucolic banner

of Sunday School hillsides.

The last two words of each line

of the couplet were indecipherable.

Though I ciphered the opus’ Ur,

mystically married, ovarian and pastoral.

With sweet ignorance, my philistine hostess

cracked an egg into a sizzling pan,

that I might finish my reading.

I awoke laughing.

Edited January 20, 2007 by Juan Cruz