PREPROCESS
Had been reading Wystan Hugh
September 1, 1939 in the deranged comfort
Of my dive home
Books, books and more books
Books to the right of me
Books to the left of me
Books before and behind me
A veritable valley of volumes
Containing the thoughts of the living and dead
And having finished for the moment
With working with Wystan Hugh
The awesome Auden
And his words steeped in spirits
I had yearning for William Butler
Collected works
One of my favorites among the multitude
Usually right at hand but suddenly not
In his place of honor on the top shelf
Of the white wicker nightstand by my rumpled bed
Nor on the floor beside the stand
Or the nearby packing crates
Or the shelf opposite
Or the table behind
Or the floor between the bed and the wall
Or in the case at the foot of the bed
And now I am on my hands and knees
Calling WB! WB! WB! As I peer under the bed
WB! WB! As I peruse piles stacks cartons and cases
WB! WB! I call but he doesn’t answer
I sit at my desk emotionally spent
My potential inspiration of the moment
Missing in inaction
Glance to my right
And there beneath a pile of unopened envelopes
On the third shelf of the second inbox complex
Next to the shiny, shiny printer is William Butler
Looking none the worse for wear
And now Easter will come after September
And 1916 will come after 1939
And who knows what will come after that
