PRESENTATION
503
Enter my name and take these data: born to eat, to chill
Deliciously on sounds of Brahms, to like fine fragile minor things
like bells
Of filigree, and crystals worn with velvet or furs, and be struck sad
forever
By movies like
Wuthering Heights
and wet hay and bergamot smells.
Gone are the celery gardens and the thrilling snakes in the carrots,
The basement mushroom beds, strawberries in a cold November,
And Mother panicked before a tumbling storm, frightened for the
lonely children . . .
I see it all through the brush of Brueghel, done in black and green
and umber.
Mark the velvet steps by the county home through four long winters.
Add the seasons of lectures, concerts, plays, and label this
learning.
Consider the job with NYA a lesson too. And when I submit the roster
of friends
Who salted my blood, my magnified file should be ready for burning.
Then that's that. vVe took our direction from our first spoken testimony
Following the immaculate immersicn sealed by the laying on of hands.
Our purpose ha::; been our knowing, we carried our faith to an end ...
note it.
We promise mighty indignation if the faith explicit in our passing
is
not kept to fortify these lands.
Tabulate our scores. Allow good conduct passes on our patient action,
and we'll go
To join the influences for good which crowd the upper air of earth
And sing, at times ]ike Christmas, how all men are brothers,
Peace should be-and damn quick! - with added charity, hope and
mirth.
JoN BECK SHANK
