With this pen manu-
factured in the works
of Monsieur Lépine
in the Jura Alps,
that I bought in Boston,
I write this down
on yellow paper,
then with scissors
cut it to slivers
I wad and wedge
in my backyard hedge
in Lubbock, Texas,
where kingbird,
robin and sparrow
take them in beaks
to feather their nests.
William Wenthe
William Wenthe's fifth book of poems, The Gentle Art, which has much to do with the life and art of James McNeill Whistler, will be published by LSU Press in 2023. He has received awards from the NEA, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and two Pushcart Prizes.
Also by William Wenthe (see all)
- The Artist Is Reborn - September 22, 2022
- The Chelsea Girl - September 22, 2022
- Letter to Whistler - September 21, 2022