Fall 2006

Henry Parland
"Kiss a girl . . . "

Kiss a girl and eat cream with a fork.
             (It’s never enough.)

"Life is getting cheaper . . . "

Life is getting cheaper and cheaper,
and last year’s ideals,
now only cost 10%
of the original price.
You can paint the old wreck,
put in a few spare parts
and transport
people, suitcases and booze
for a decent fee.

"Good Lord, . . . "

Good Lord,
why don’t we
write poetry with money
like Ivar Kreuger
or Basil Saharoff.
They don’t give a damn about the Nobel Prize.
Tear a sheet out of history
and write a receipt:
received Europe
which is hereby acknowledged.

"Letter after letter . . . "

Letter after letter
hammers an old nail
into my heart:
you cannot
forget!
That you
one starless night
left your soul
alone
in the snowdrifts.

"I came out of a great warmth . . . "

I came out of a great warmth
and nobody seemed to recognize me.
The road limped along
and so did the people.
It was windy.
Beneath a streetlight
I bought a pack of cigarettes,
and they followed me
all the way home.