T. R. Smith, comp. Poetica Erotica: Rare and Curious Amatory Verse. 1921–22.
Dénoument
By John Van Alstyne Weaver (18931938)(From In American, 1921) SO now I get the dirty throwdown, huh? | |
What do I mean? Yeh, that’s a good one, ain’t it? | |
How do you get that way? You think I’m blind? | |
I seen you with that girl the other night! | |
Aw, Frank, how could ya ever come to do it? | 5 |
I ain’t changed, am I? Ain’t I just as swell? | |
Don’t my eyes shine the same way, just for you? | |
Don’t you remember out to old San Soozy | |
We won long-distance prizes, dancin’ together? | |
You says, “You keep the prize; what’s mine is yourn, | 10 |
And vicey versy.” Yes, and don’t you remember | |
When you—when you first kissed me in Jim’s Ford, | |
And all them lovely things you says to me, | |
And me believin’ ’em, because I loved you?… | |
I should of knew, I should of knew, I should of! | 15 |
Men is the same, kiddin’ a girl along, | |
Makin’ her love ’em, till she lost her brains | |
And done what never can’t be undid now! | |
But still…. That night the stars was winkin’ down, | |
And looked so bright and happy, just like me. | 20 |
The little waves was chucklin’ ’round the boat, | |
You and the wind took turns, kissin’ my forrid. | |
Down underneath I felt the engines pumpin’ | |
Just like your heart, pressin’ against my cheeks. | |
The lights was out, it was so dark and haunted, | 25 |
I felt so safe with them big arms around me, | |
And dreamy, with the niggers singin’ soft, | |
Playin’ their yukalalies. And I says,— | |
Don’t you remember what I says? I says, | |
“See them two rows o’ lights along the shore? | 30 |
Them is the city’s teeth, shinin’ so white; | |
The city’s laughin’, just like you and me; | |
Laughin’ and laughin’. Everybody’s glad.”… | |
The fool I was! The stupid, crazy fool! | |
I listened to your talk, give in to you, | 35 |
Lovin’ you heart and soul, never went home | |
Till noon, lied to ’em all—and now—and now— | |
I’m finished!—Thrun away!… Them lights was teeth, | |
The teeth the city’s got, to tear and tear me— | |
Murderin’, tearin’ teeth! They got me in ’em!… | 40 |
Go on away! I never want to see you! | |
Go get that red-head fool, tell her I sent you! | |
I hope she’ll be another fool like me,— | |
I hope you burn and burn in Hell! I hope— | |
Oh, what’s there anything to hope for, now?… End of Volume Two | 45 |