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(2
issue proper instructions?[]Not,certainly,
our global archons []hose toplofty[]slogans
are as off the m[]rk as their syntax[]
is vague.(They w[]uld be figures of fun,if
very clever little boys had not foun[] it[]
amusing to build devices for them,more
[]pt[]at disasse[]bly th[]n any
old fire-seewing theogoni[]monster.)
To be responsible fo[] the ha[]iness
of the[]Universe is not [] sin[]cure:
in[]elite l[]nds []r gener[]tion
m[]y[]e c[]lled[]to []t[]for a[]iscipline
that outpeers the mon[]s,[] []ay of obe[]ience,
[]overty []nd - good[]ief[] - perh[]s ch[]tity,
yet in this World's ill-weathered open,
a fresh v[]nture p[]efigur[]d in folk-tales
[]s the []uest Perilous. []or such wayfarers,
w[]at should we write []o give them the nourishment,
warmth and[]shelter they'll be in need of?
[]othing o[]scene o[]unpleasant: only
the unscarred overfed[]enjoy Calvary
as a verbal event. []r satiric: no
scorn will ashame[]he[]rsary.
Nor shod[]ily m[]de:[]to give a stunning
display of concinnity[]and elegance
is[]the le[]t we[]can[]d[],and its domin[]nt
[]o[]emood shoul[] be that[]a[]r[]iv[]l.
Let[]us hymn the[]s[]ll []ut journal[]wonders
of Nature and familie[]and then finish
on[] serio-comic note []ith legends[]
of ultimate e[]nt[]t[]phe eucatastrophe,
regeneration bey[]n[] the w[]ters.
[]ut perhaps you think[]poems are as foolish
as most poets,and woul[] rather[]spend your s[]re
moments romfping around in Cantor's
logical paradise o[] beseeching
such knotty points []s[][]an we hang a robber
w[]o is not there? or []h[]t is the color of
the []ber Three. []hy not? []ll []le[]sures
come from []od. []in[]e I am your godfather,
let me close this letter with some worl[]ly []axi[]s:
[]e []lad[]your[]being is[]unnecessary,
then,turn your toes out as[]you w[]lk,de[]r,
and remember who y[]u are,a[]pender.
E[]TO[]GODS[]
[][]h[]nk[]or[]b[]ozy godf[]thers"
y[]u[]wrote i[]ur[]gue[]t-book,w[]ich was flattering:
trough []'ve reache[]the years when discretion
calls for a[]yearl[]me[]ical check-up,
who[]I[]to[]avo[]ch f[]r[]a Christian[]
baby,far le[]s offer []o[]tly pl[]titudes
to a young man[]I[] y[]te[]ti[]es it
was diff[]rent: th[] old could be helpful
when[]they could[]ni[]e[]vis[]ge[]th[]uture
as a []me[]le settle[]lan[]c[]p[]t[]ir children
would m[]ke the[]s[]e[]sense of []they did,
l[]ughing and w[]ing at the same stories.
[]hen
[]hen she[]p and go[]t[]s[]e[]sy[]to recognize,
local f[]una:[]good m[]t []ile[] the shoemaker
ta[]ing[]eare of[]t[] vill[]ge nin[]y,
[]vil Count ffoul[]es who[]in[]hi[] tall d[]n[]n[]
indulged in si[]ist[] []e[]riciti[] []cxentricities.
[]t I speak from ex[]i[]nce,[]ow could I
say th[]t to you,[]to []an't reme[]ber
when everyone tr[]velled by r[]ilway
and the[]p[]orr[]were []t they were used to being,
the cre[]to[]s[]of[]w[]ot,as []w they are,
a[]expensive n[]i[].([]ody[]
has dared suggest[]g[]ssing them,but someone
surely will,) []o[]n't need []e to tell you what's
[]in[] o[]:[]the []ck[]r[]tic media,[]
joint with []nd[]e-[]ryer gossip,
process and ven[]without intermission
all To-[]y's ugly []rets[] I[]g[]e Imageable
no longer,a fe[]tu[]less anonymous
thre[]t[]from[]ehi[]d,[]-[]orrow has us
gallowed shitless: if what is to h[]ppen
occurs a[]r[]ing to[] what []hu[]ydidesdes
defined[]as 'hu[]n',[]'ve had[]it,are in for
a disaster that []o []our-letter
words will tardy. I've beheld in nightmares
(wh[]sn't?) lik[]ly a[]ominations: seething
[]havior[] sinks,the :uses s[]uttering,
s[]elly,from eutr[]hiod []elicon,[]
the []itches Sab[]th on Garbage []ount[]in,
Herod's[]ti[]ge[]etic engin[]ers commanded
to[]ify[]th[] []o[]ts.[]y[]then,[]ith
[]y luck,the ta[]gible Me shoul[]
be mineral,too s[]t in my habits
to distinguish light from d[]rkness and valued,
in current prices,at three-dollars-fifty:
[]ut you could well be there if what is
ri[]ely is not pr[]mptly done. Yet who can
P.T.O.