Ode

Kenneth Lifshitz

What was that?'
A thought ran into my
mind like a cat
A big tom-it hissed and spat
Busy,-very busy said
I waving a hand
and punctiliously sat on the cat

Ah - yes
(I gripped myself fervently)
"I see the remains of-
a large cake "
What was that
A florld and silly person
whose balloon I gazed at
That afternoon they took
off my strait Jacket,
(I was serious)
So I could tan all over
As you walked alongslde
With a sly smile that 
couldn't hide
A pearl in your lip
and one shoe untied.
The jeWel did slip 
and was lost in the dusty roadside.

A wounded thought now
dragged it's blood-stained carcass
into my tent.
With a mighty effort it
stood and Saluted
(I swore it would drop- )
a pain choked tear
crept slowly down his cheek
And he spoke-
Sir! I am the only surv1vor
I and a contemporary composer
Our fleet is sunk
and besides,
We tried so hard
and won
but final berth. ,
So the light turned about
surprised,
then out.
The whispers gathered into
a group and sighed out the door.
I remarked to the cat
Who still in the far corner sat,
we tried so hard
- and lost
- but some bit of time.

We turned and so hid
behind large coconuts,
A last resort,
But she'd never have guessed
That after a day passed
we were nowhere to
be found.
Old tomcats!

Kenneth Lifshitz 1966 (approx.)