386
PARTISAN REVIEW
Sits bolt upright, small silver rings plated
At the end of long, bold, undusted leg;
His head close shaven, struck as with the plague
Or else sudden invaded, left barren,
A cotton field caught in a hurricane
Of locusts.
And now a plate of sweets
For him alone is spread,
Most delicious rounded
Like the chin on his hand.
First, he refuses, no,
He will take it home-so–
Gravely he cups his hands,
Fifty miles in the bus,
To father, he whispers ...
At last prevailed upon
He eats without a spoon.
Everything sinks down like stone.
Large, serene eyes fixed on his .plate,
He has the air of perfect manners,
Dipping the cup with one fourth fingers
And eating with mouth sometime shut
As our numerous westerners
May notice with relief. One aunt
So bland, now makes as if to shift,
Then looks away, decides she can't,
Besides she need not be silent-
-How well brought up, how different
From that woman of yesterday,
Husband-deserted, forcible-possessed,
Who so tragic there .was standing,
Eyes half shut and quivering,
(It was put on, I now suspect),
With desolate, disconsolate aspect
And so it's whispered ...
is infected?
Her lower lip hangs loose always
