The Day I Visited Giorgio V

THE DAY I VISITED GIORGIO V. The day I visited Giorgio V. It was poetry that received me : Poems lined after poems Like the military in morning parade ; I saw words command words I saw words send words on errand Every word in its rank and its place Like items in Lidi or Audi’s shop. There is gender in poetry’s palace : The she-poems need no introduction Their body features speak for them But many are he-poems in Giorgio’s league That Lexicon or Thesaurus must first introduce ; The array is beauty to behold Variety is the jewel that stands here out. Then came the Marshal The commander of the battalion On his epaulet I read : poetic anatomy – His dexterity in letter wins queens ; He grows poems where men grow hairs , He took first step , gourdlets of poetry were dropping He took the next , gourds of poetry were falling He took another , it was barrels of poetry that were rolling down At this point I heard a thunderous voice : ‘‘Stand at ease , stand alert Quick march , slow march March in review order March in advance order Open hair dresser Salute.’’ Majestically he walked , like the Irish Colum , In the columns of words as he inspected the guard ; Sundenly he turned back and made my point his path , Could he have seen me ? Yes, he did ; As he got to me , phonetically he pressed : What can I do for you ? Like in catechism I replied : Your servant has only come to glorify the god of poetry.