The Golden Flute

for Wallace Stevens it's not an ordinary toot That's played upon the golden flute. One time a man asked me to play Upon my flute his flustered way. I said, "This is no substitute! This is the esoteric flute!" He looked at me and muttered. "Shoot." I then began to play a scene Of lovely notes in floating green, Then asked the doubting, blinded brute, "Now have you heard such from a flute?" "Such notes, " he said, "I've never seen; But I detest the color green. Play me red notes. Blue is cute. Come honk them on your golden flute." Such people I have never seen Who doubt my melodies played green; And so I thought, and so was mute, But floored him with my golden flute.