possibly thrice we glimpsed—
more likely twice
that(once crammed into someone’s kitchenette)
wheezing bulgily world of genial plac
-idity(plus,out of much its misbutt-
oned trouserfly tumbling,faded five
or so lightyears of pyjamastring)
a(vastly and particularly)live
that undeluded notselfpitying
lover of all things excellently rare;
obsolete almost that phenomenon
(too gay for malice and too wise for fear)
of shadowy virtue and of sunful sin
namely(ford madox ford)and eke to wit
a human being
—let’s remember that