Some of the most dan-
gerous words in the
English language, all
strung together in a
phrase warning pleas-
antly of trouble.
Where did the conven-
tion for this arise:
incongruous pronoun,
without antecedent,
as if we are all sup-
posed to surmise it;
an emergence innocent
of provenance; an af-
fixing of self-inter-
est beyond resistance.
Possibly something of
inspiration is rather
a dialogue with audac-
ity unstrung; Auster-
litz in the morning,
favoured by the fog.
I suppose it's possib-
le to love gardens so
well they can seem to
be what matters. Did
I imagine, it were so?
I imagine, it were so?
The runner is already here,
has been for some time, awaiting instructions.
If it was my turn I'd go, but since that is
out of the question, I'll merely keep my counsel,
looking for some converted to preach to.
The other thing, your happiness program, fits in
with the recent trend for self-expression. All in good time.
Why is parting, then, permitted?
John Ashbery
Quick Question: New Poems
Northeast Building
[fragment]
Ecco/Harper Collins, 2012©
i, ii Adam Prucha
