Proletarian Poet
July 6, 2023Poem (As the cat)
July 6, 2023Portrait of a Lady
Your thighs are appletrees
whose blossoms touch the sky.
Which sky? The sky
where Watteau hung a lady’s
slipper. Your knees
are a southern breeze — or
a gust of snow. Agh! what
sort of man was Fragonard?
— As if that answered
anything. — Ah, yes. Below
the knees, since the tune
drops that way, it is
one of those white summer days,
the tall grass of your ankles
flickers upon the shore —
Which shore? —
the sand clings to my lips —
Which shore?
Agh, petals maybe. How
should I know?
Which shore? Which shore?
— the petals from some hidden
appletree — Which shore?
I said petals from an appletree.
William Carlos Williams
William Carlos Williams (1883-1963) was an American poet and physician who was associated with the Modernist movement. He is known for his use of everyday language and for his experiments with form and style. His most famous works include "Spring and All" and "The Red Wheelbarrow." Williams was also a mentor to many younger poets, including Allen Ginsberg.