Respectability and Other Poems
Respectability
It is unhinging, the opposite view
of your cabinet, where face value
persists in surface and polish:
Johnston & Murphy, J. Crew
Johnston & Murphy, J. Crew
thus arrayed, for the captain
whose collections you guard
whose collections you guard
like any stowaway tested, proved good—
here’s Captain, still trusting
here’s Captain, still trusting
a throat to your blade,
its velocity creeping to gale force, keen
its velocity creeping to gale force, keen
on overtaking all terrestrial
rotation. While the next passing
rotation. While the next passing
siren swells its patriot’s flag
of caterwaul heralding war
of caterwaul heralding war
here a silk tongue rolls out like
hush, with inveigling knot
hush, with inveigling knot
of the professional patois.
How long since one’s expression
How long since one’s expression
creased with hint
of rebellion; conquest
of rebellion; conquest
demands its cohesions.
So huff more steam
So huff more steam
across a starched white sea,
lean right and left, each
lean right and left, each
for the same black coffee. If one
turns even by a hair
turns even by a hair
uncertain, who would here stand
as our sir in sworn loyalty,
as our sir in sworn loyalty,
attend at the buttoning
of this left-handed cuff,
of this left-handed cuff,
take a next shift
as first mate without mutiny
as first mate without mutiny
when only one of him believes
in bounty out there—
in bounty out there—
but enough: to dare sirens,
push off.
push off.
