John Ashbery, 1927-2017 (by Mitch Sisskind)


You do change into an insect but,

Pshaw, you knew it would end this way.

It ain’t even half bad. Most folks don’t


Notice and them few that fears you


Aren’t who you want to know anyhow


So fuck ‘em. But first, before anything


Can happen, you got to live long enough


Or maybe too long like some folks say.


Harumpf! I thoroughly enjoyed myself


Aviating up toward colored light bulbs,


Then circling all lazy-like till dawn when


Birds ate me. But it ain’t no never mind.


Listen, if history teaches us anything


It’s just a feeling that comes over you.

97ea29d32f15b24e036938655bc9ea29