EMILY DICKINSON IN IRAQ
bob the cat says, laura bush wants you to go to her house and
talk about how emily dickinson made you cry and laugh
i never met emily dickinson, i tell bob
doesn't matter,he says,the first lady asked for you, she said
get me a poet, you're a poet, right, i mean, you call yourself one
yeah,so what
this is your opportunity. i bet the first lady has good wet food.
you go there, talk about emily, check out what kind of cat food
they got
i dunno,bob.i think they want a different poem than what i could
come up with
you can come up with anything, man.
yeah, but why should i.
the phone rings. i answer.
mr.wannberg, a dignified voice says
well it sounds kind of dignified, whatever that might mean
yes, i am he
how well do you know emily dickinson, mr.wannberg. are you
of an intimate nature with her works
not necessarily, i say.
we want you and your friends to come to the white house and
channel emily dickinson's spirit.
why do you want emily dickinson's spirit channeled
why not anne sexton or sylvia plath or
marianne moore
well, none of those poets are belles, are they. but emily dickinson is
a belle. didn't you see Belle of Amherst
maybe i did, maybe i didn't. you could get julie harris to come and
act it out for you. you don't need any live poets, do you
don't be difficult.we could get homeland security to come out and
investigate you.for example, that cat, bob. does he rightfully belong to
you
no, he is his own free spirit. ostensibly he lives upstairs.
well, there you go. we can't have too many ostensible free spirits
roaming around at will.where would the focus of the structure be.
well, maybe i could come and channel Charles Bukowski. I don't think I
would be good at Emily Dickinson
didn't he swear a lot.
yeah, i guess, sometimes. would that be bad,s wearing here and there.
you folks don't ever do it at the white house
why no, here at the white house we never swear
would i have to send bob the cat upstairs to his rightful owner for
me to be allowed to come to the white house and channel emily
dickinson
you might want to consider the proper thing here, mr.wannberg
would i have to go and read emily dickinson in iraq
oh,mr.wannberg, there is to be no mention of iraq. whatsoever. not at
all. why would you even bring up such a delicate matter
everyone else seems to be talking about it. have you looked at a
newspaper lately. seemingly
iraq is not poetic, mr.wannberg
oh well, i guess i don't know what is poetic these days. thanks for
asking, though.when you guys want Bukowski channeled, call me back. I
know a couple of locals here who would be good for you
i hang up. bob grimaces
no wet food at the white house, then
well, if you want it that bad, i guess you could go
can you teach me to read emily dickinson, then
yeah, sure.why not. you're a smart cat.i guess. aren't you?
when my country needs it, i can be a smart enough cat.
bob and i go and look at emily dickinson poems.
do you think the president will rub my belly, he asks
only time will tell, i answer
only time can say
---Scott Wannberg |
