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Variations of a Theme

April 25th, 2008

Daniel Pontius

The carved white gold leaf octopus frame, is a great take off of a sunburst theme–designed by a great shop on Beverly Blvd. The others from an antiques shops in Chinatown, NYC & Solana Beach. I thought it was Frank O’ Hara who wrote the poem, Variations on a Theme, but it was Kenneth Koch.
1
I chopped down the house that you had been saving to live in next summer.
I am sorry, but it was morning, and I had nothing to do
and its wooden beams were so inviting.

2
We laughed at the hollyhocks together
and then I sprayed them with lye.
Forgive me. I simply do not know what I am doing.

3
I gave away the money that you had been saving to live on for the
next ten years.
The man who asked for it was shabby
and the firm March wind on the porch was so juicy and cold.

4
Last evening we went dancing and I broke your leg.
Forgive me. I was clumsy and
I wanted you here in the wards, where I am the doctor!

One Comment

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  1. April 25, 2008

    Hah! Good parody. I loved that WCW poem when I read it in high school but now I like the parodies better. This is the best one I can find tonight:

    This Is Just To Say

    I have snipped
    the poem
    that I posted
    to this thread

    and which
    you were probably
    saving
    to read later

    Forgive me
    it was crap
    so crappy
    and so full of crap

    (David Mascellani)

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