Experiment 12
[two untitled poems by Adrienne Young]
Today I thought it was nice
to walk ahout slowly
doing nothing except
talking and thinking and whistling.
I do like to whistle only
it embarrasses me.
I don't whistle in tune.
The town I thought, was friendly today.
Here I am suddenly liking
most people I don't (as a rule)
like people much at all:
not ald people who
suck through their false teeth or children who grizzle.
I like, today most men especially one or two
They are not as inhabited
as women are.
I don't like (I don't think) social women who climb.
scungy places like the
plimmer steps are
nice I think
the dog I saw had fleas
and the land-lady's bird
had flown away
or so I heard.
Today, I thoupht it was nice
it rained a bit.
But really,
yesterday was nice too I think
Adrienne Young 1965
Today is the funeral
of Charley's mother.
She was old, no doubt,
and sick or some other excuse.
And they all trooped away
to the church out there
at Newtown, to hear
the preacher send her off
with a blessing.
It is mundane to die
old and or sick.
Much more interesting
to he young, make it quick
like electrocution or something.
The same, it is tedious to live
whether young or old.
A dragging dreary intermination
which will blow itself cold
as Charley's mother did
Adrienne Young 1965