I was painting dolphins on a silver sea When a genial, jawful upstart came to me. "Poof!" he cried. "A rum thing! I foretell @3your@1 fate. Give the people something They'll appreciate! People want the @3vital.@1 People love the @3real.@1 Hence—your just requital! You are too ideal. No one does as you do. Wise they grow—and rich!" All I crooned was "Who do? @3Who@1 do @3which?"@1 While my clarion shattered dawn's resplendent gold, Hobbled up a tattered grandsire, glum and old. Cackling "Lawksadaisy!" Stood awhile, and spat. Then he said "You're crazy! What's the good of @3that?@1 People want the @3mellow.@1 People prize the @3mild.@1 You are but a yellow journal's jaundiced child. Fervor for the few does. Wiser heads say 'Tut!"' All I smiled was "Who does? Who does @3what?"@1 Where my purple vastures know not days or hours, In celestial pastures picking stars for flowers, Midway through my revel, of his own accord, Popped a little devil up through heavenly sward. "Lord! Is this your fashion? How you're wasting time! People pine for passion mixed with their sublime. People are romantic. People love to pry. ..." Then I froze that antic devil with my eye. Then I pounced upon him. Then I hurled him high Crimsonly careering down the whirling sky, Sputtering "You—you—you will hear from me again!" "Whoo-oop!" I bellowed. "@3Who@1 will? @3Who@1 will? @3WHEN?"@1 | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SONNET: 2 by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE OUR SOLDIERS' SANTIAGO SONG by DAVID GRAHAM ADEE SAINT MAY: A CITY LYRIC by JOSEPH ASHBY-STERRY THE EVE OF BANNOCKBURN by JOHN BARBOUR THE PIONEER'S FIELD by RICHARD BECK |