A Diptych:

Doing Without and Having Too Much

Doing Without

’s an interesting

custom, involving such in-

visible items as the food

that’s not on the table, the clothes

that are not on the back

the radio whose only music

is silence. Doing without

is a great protector of reputations

since all places one cannot go

are fabulous, and only the rare and

enlightened plowman in his field

or on his mountain does not overrate

what he does not or cannot have.

Saluting through their windows

of cathedral glass those restaurants

we must not enter (unless like

burglars we become subject to

arrest) we greet with our twinkling

eyes the faces of others who do

without, the lady with the

fishing pole and the man who looks

amused to have discovered on a walk

another piece of firewood.

 

Having Too Much

shows in more places, not

only the face but the belly and

the polished leather. Wher-

ever you go, round every port

of call, folks who practice

this custom walk with cameras

knocking their knees and

genitals. Like busybodies

they have so many friends to

look in on they never quite

catch up. They must use

boats, planes, rockets, upon

which they distribute

cigarettes like tickets that

will glow and take you

anywhere, even to the

moon when it opens up

for the season. What they

have learned is certain lessons

which they are fond of

citing, e.g. money talks

and they appear to be in despair

from never absorbing quite

enough electricity.