Not Original, Not Funny
by rex Saturday, Jul 6 2013, 2:02pm
international / poetry / post

when asked by a customs officer
if he had anything to declare, Oscar retorted,
‘only my homosexuality, dear boy,
only that’ -- well, not quite but close
not the arse but close.

‘yes, mam,’ nodded the shoe salesman
after fetching the 50th pair of shoes
for a fussy poor little rich girl

after rejecting the 50th pair
the salesman inquired,
‘what exactly do you want madam?’
it’s the colour that’s not quite right
i don’t want brown but close to brown
very close, she said

the salesman returned with a pair
of close-to-brown shoes,
which the fussy rich girl immediately
rejected,
‘i told u not brown but close to brown,’
she said

‘madam’ exasperated the salesman
i’d like to fuck you up the arse
but not really the arse, just close
to the arse

and all the while poor Oscar [Wilde]
was doing time for being precise and
decisive.

the lesson is clear,
the imprecise and
indecisive usually win the day
-- genius always abandons one
when needed most.

the group is engaged
drinking wine
and speaking pleasantries,
i sweep the room with my
eye and see
only
portraits of Dorian