Famous Poets

Privileged inhabitants of a biotope of vouchers,

disbursements and residencies; miracles of state support

and a surprising plethora of who-knew international systems;

experts at putting the bite on the hand.

Languishing behind iconic early photographs

of themselves in camps, at borders, over war zones,

canvassing the trouble spots;

no longer to be met with at home, wherever that was.

Un peu partout, then (means: angry everywhere).

Their one vein is praise, though only

of the austerely praiseworthy. Bread. Tea. Salt.

Their second: speechless indignation, yards of it.

They put the bien in pensant. Papabile in age (though see also: mamabile).

The love life makes an agreeable pasture.

The personal is/is not political.

Faithful bonds, or, conversely, his/her sterling appetites.

But orthodox stuff. Mother and father position.

Comfortingly behind the times. The men strong, silent,

oh-so-performing, the women granted/claiming all of two modes:

the abject pine and the wowingly satisfied.

Poems that, because anyone might have written them,

appeal to everyone. That resist the understanding not at all,

that barely engage it. Atlanta airport. A vision of  Yevtushenko

in yellow. A loud suit. On his way somewhere.