Gilbert Sorrentino
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF OILCLOTH
Three young women in white dresses
At the edge of what may be a lake
And the song that issues from the vicinity
Slides across the water and has no meaning
Whatsoever. Their faces are very jolly
And one imagines them smiling as one smiles
Himself as the song is recognized. Are cheaper.
Tomatoes are cheaper. To fall in love.
Tomatoes are. Now the famous fog and mist
Borrowed from a stack of bad novels bought cheap
Covers them. Covers all. Night covers all.
Wending home. Cheap tomatoes. In love at last
With a trio of closely shaven gentlemen
In plus fours and lots of air in their heads.
It's all better than religion sweetheart
Sweetheart sweetheart will you?
We are entering the stretch of this entire
Dippy carnival. They're climbing the slope
Into the darkness of the trees. White. White. White.
A chiming laughter. No bananas today. Tomatoes in love.
