Hugh Hefner
For the exordium of a bon vivant lifestyle
In the dour and savage city of Chicago
He merits all the appreciation in the world.
Here's what I mean. In 1953 I attended
A terrifying professional wrestling match
At the old Marigold Arena between
The heel Dick The Bruiser Afflis and
Bobby Managoff whose actual name
Was Manoogian. I say terrifying
Because the onlooking mob of janitors
And their wives was screaming for blood
Yet that very night the first issue of
Playboy was approaching readiness
Which was nearly called Stag Party.
Three Sonnets on Lines of Ashbery
1.
We've heard lots of names here
Tonight but I'll tell you one name
We have not heard which is the
Name of Slobodnik who was
The janitor at the high school
Where I worked and one day
He said swimming is good for
You because swimming gets
The crud out of your pores so
I have remembered his words
Spoken around 1975 just like
Neither have I ever forgotten
The line here a scarf flies and
There an excited call is heard.
2.
We have heard a lot of names
But one name we have not heard
Is Smolarek the Wisconsin man
I used to play basketball with
And he always won but then
I won so the next week he won
Again and he stated how he
Wanted to win today so he
Fucked not his wife last night
Nor that morning either in 1975
Which I remember as clearly as
Whose wind is desire starching
A petal whose disappointment
Broke into a rainbow of tears.
3.
The last name we have not heard
Is Greene how we were on the
Drill field and he started screaming
Supplementary get your goddamn
Ass out here now where the hell is
Supplementary get your slack ass
Out here Supplementary and we
Had no idea what he was talking
About for there was nobody named
Supplementary and then suddenly
It dawned on all of us at once like
A miracle that he meant Sulloway
Which I have n'er forgot just like
Now I let you go signed The Dwarf.