For William McN. who studied with Ezra Pound

By John Cage
in ten Minutes
                                           Come back: you will
        have taught me chiNese
                                        (sAtie).
                         shall I retUrn the favor?
                                          Give you
                                      otHer lessons
                                        (Ting!)?
                                         Or would you prefer
                                   sileNce?

Copyright Credit: John Cage, "For William McN. who studied with Ezra Pound" from Empty Words: Writings ‘73-’78. Copyright © 1979 by John Cage.  Reprinted by permission of Wesleyan University Press.
Source: Empty Words: Writings ‘73-’78 (Wesleyan University Press, 1979)