The Yale Anthology of Twentieth-Century French Poetry

GHERASIM LUCA

it has nine forks symmetrical in its nine pairs of legs
ten pairs of legs absorbed by its legs
in other words eleven pairs of absorbent volcanic legs
despair has twelve pairs of legs twelve pairs of legs

it has thirteen pairs of legs
despair has fourteen pairs of light volcanic legs
fifteen fifteen pairs of legs
despair has sixteen pairs of legs sixteen pairs of legs
despair has seventeen pairs of legs absorbed by the legs
eighteen pairs of legs and eighteen pairs of socks
it has eighteen pairs of socks in the forks of its legs
in other words nineteen pairs of legs
despair has twenty pairs of legs
thirty pairs of legs.
despair doesn’t have any pairs of legs
not a single pair of legs
absolutely not absolutely no legs
absolutely not a single leg
absolutely three legs
—michael tweed

The End of the World: To Embody

I nostril you I hair you
I hip you
you haunt me
I breast you
I breast your bust then visage you
I corsage you
you odor me you dizzy me
you slide
I thigh you I caress you
I shiver you
you leg across me
you unbearable me
I amazon you
I neck you I stomach you
I skirt you
I garter you I stocking you I Bach you
yes I Bach you for harpsichord breast and flute