Yesterday the phone rang at 4:40. Alice Quinn, executive director of the Poetry Society of America, said, "Tomorrow is `Put a Poem in Your Pocket Day,’ and Mayor Bloomberg has written a poem and published it — his first — in today’s Metro New York.
Can you write a new poem using the first line of the Mayor’s? It doesn’t have to respond to his.
"Yes," I said."You know me, Alice. There’s nothing I like better than a challenge."
"You have to do it in the next twenty minutes," she replied.
This is what I wrote. It’s on page two of today’s Metro New York.
Poem for Mayor Bloomberg Beginning with a Line of His
"Pardon me, Sir. I’ve a question or two."
That’s what they all say.
What they really mean is: will you
listen to my rant of the day
which blames our problems as a nation
on the lack of a unifying vision
giving rise to such frustration
that people will embrace any illusion
that knocks on the door, and more along
these lines until you, Mr. Mayor,
say: is there a question here?
I say: Take the day off. Sing a song
like "(We’ll Have) Manhattan." You, sir,
can count on the poetry vote. Cheers!
D.L.