A Duet
Art was long.
Paul was short.
Art sang the song.
Paul was the sort
who made one up
as if from air.
Paul had more gift.
Art had more hair—
which isn’t to take
away from Arts.
Many sing well
if someone starts,
and it robs no Simon
to get paid like Paul.
Along was Art’s way
to be singing at all.
If Paul robbed some,
it’s harder revealing.
What stuck in his mind,
he stuck to concealing
so koo-koo-ka-choo
would stick in our heads.
It wasn’t Garfunkel,
someone said Simon said
when they parted acts.
Debts one forgets.
Acoustic is fraught
with strings over frets,
taken together,
taken apart.
Paul lifting from life.
Life lifting from Art.
Source: Poetry (July/August 2008)