Aimless Reading: The O's, Part 5.15 (Charles Olson)

Charles Olson & Ezra Pound: An Encounter at St. Elizabeths, a photo by Michael_Kelleher on Flickr.

Olson, Charles
Charles Olson & Ezra Pound: An Encounter at St. Elizabeths

Purchased at Rust Belt Books. Given that I bought this book at least ten years ago, and used at that, it's in surprisingly crisp shape. Feels new but for the five dollar price penciled into the upper right corner of the first right facing page. A little noise in my office this morning. I hear a lawnmower. A couple of guys talking across the street. One of our cats is scratching something somewhere in the house. The lawnmower is getting louder.

This morning in the shower I thought up the lyrics to a song. It goes like this:

The Poetry Song

Should I become a conceptual poet?
Should I become a conceptual poet?
Should I become a conceptual poet?
What should I become?

Should I become a new narrative poet?
Should I become a new narrative poet?
Should I become a new narrative poet?
What should I become?

(Slow tempo)

Should I become a slooowww poet?
Should I become a slooowww poet?
Should I become a slooowww poet?
What should I become?

(Bridge)

(no instruments but clapping hands)

L equals A equals N equals G equals U equals A equals G equals E
L equals A equals N equals G equals U equals A equals G equals E
L equals A equals N equals G equals U equals A equals G equals E

(COME ON, EVERYBODY CLAP YOUR HANDS!)

L equals A equals N equals G equals U equals A equals G equals E
L equals A equals N equals G equals U equals A equals G equals E
L equals A equals N equals G equals U equals A equals G equals E

OH.......

Should I become a conceptual poet?
Should I become a conceptual poet?
Should I become a conceptual poet?
What should I become?

(The sound of a dog barking, chorus hums the melody in the background)

What's that little doggie? Did you says something?
What's that? We left something out, you say?
Well what is it? Un-hunh. Un-hunh. So we did.
Well why don't you tell our friends in the audience, ok?
On the count of three. One. Two. Three.

(the dog barks)

FLARF!

OH......

Should I become a conceptual poet?
Should I become a conceptual poet?
Should I become a conceptual poet?
What should I become?
What should I become?
What should I.......beeeeeeeee.....coooome.

Thank you. And good night.