ECLOGUE
L.:
I meant seawater; you thought I meant hope.
P.:
Hell, I reckon you think I am a dope.
L.:
I
didn't say that;
I
said there was no place.
P.:
If
not in a place, where are the People weeping?
L.:
They creep weeping in the face, not place.
P.:
Is it something with which we may cope-
The weeping, the creeping, the
pee-pee-~g,
the peeping?
L.:
Hanging is something which
I
will do with this rope.
P.:
Alas, for us who peep, weeping.
Alas, for us you see but little hope.
L. :
Alas,
I
didn't say that; you rhymed hope with rope.
I
meant
I
was going to hang us both for creeping.
P.:
Afterwards they could process us irito soap;
Afterwards they would rhyme soap with hope.
Both:
What a cheerful rhyme! Clean not mean!
Been ·not seen! Not tired--expired!
We must now decide about place.
We decide that place is the big weeping {ace
And the other abstract lace of the Race.
L.:
Shepherd, what are we talking about?
P.:
Oh, why, shepherd, are we stalking about?
ALLEN
TATE
51
