Dick Gallup
WHAT THE DICKENS
It's nice to sit down in the evening
With the rain out of doors
And the dog lapping water from the toilet bowl
To a dinner given in your honor
Everyone sits around in the dark
Trying to guess who's speaking from the sound.
Ah! Mr. Steinmetz is here. Hear the thunder
In his voice! The red dot of his cigar
Moves up and down as he speaks :
,'In the shadow of the lake great mists
Of electricity rise toward evening
The birds get nervous and the oars
Of the boats get stuck in the water. ' ,
Words boil around the table in response
Till, in a quiet space, only the rain
Is heard to speak softly in the trees.
It's that I like, and the way the sugar
Lies in the bowl waiting for coffee
Which, when it comes and the lights
Are turned up, shows that I am alone
Reading a newspaper headline,
"FIREMEN CHOP DOWN BLEAK HOUSE"
