Another ribald tale of good times at Madame Lipsky's.
Giorgio Finogle had come in with an imitation of the latest Russian poet,
The one who wrote the great "Complaint about the Peanut Farm" which I read to
you last year at Mrs. Riley's,
Do you remember? And then of course Giorgio had written this imitation
So he came in with it...Where was I and what was I saying?
The big beer parlor was filled with barmaids and men named Stuart
Who were all trying to buy a big red pitcher of beer for an artiste named Alma Stuart
Whom each claimed as his very own because of the similarity in names -
This in essence was Buddy's parody - O Giorgio, you idiot, Marion Stuart snapped,
It all has something to do with me! But no, Giorgio replied,
Biting in a melancholy way the edge off a cigar-colored paper patterned envelope
In which he had been keeping the Poem for many days
Waiting to show his friends. And actually it's not a parody at all,
I just claimed it was, out of embarassment. It's a poetic present for you all,
All of whom I love!
From "The Pleasures of Peace" by Kenneth Koch, who also wrote two excellent books about teaching poetry to children (see link): Rose, How did you get so Red? and one of the best-titled books of all time: Wishes, Dreams, and Lies.
