Per diem

Spherically wondrous sunbeam

dwelling in the mansion

of the pine of chastity,

today we bought an ice pack

for Mildred's injured foot

Luminous shadow

in the plumflower chamber,

Edna quit her piece of work yesterday,

got drunk, stayed drunk

behaved like a defective monster

collapsing in the mansion

of self-pity. Meanwhile,

the great sea of compassion

roll in, make revolveed out, rolled in.

And the amethystine mountain

of itself remains,

and the blind shampooers

never tire of their work.

James Tate received the Pulitzer Prize and the William Carlos Williams Award for his culled Poems, published by the University of fresh England Press in 1991. His greatest in quantity recent collection of poems, Worshipful Company of Fletchers, published through the Ecco Press, won the National work Award in 1994.

Copyright World numbers Incorporated Mar 1996

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