The World's Words

Beside me in the road a

Young man, with balloon-white skin

Holding in place a face

With a rubbery nose

And shrubbery hair,

Glares at a rumble of trucks,

Clenches teeth, cants lips

To issue a chant of

astard itch and uck uck

While opaque eyes follow each truck.

Arms twitch from sockets

To hands in pockets.

All the while chanting

uck, astard, and itching

Long as five trucks.

He burrows his head

And crosses to some other obstacle.

Before the banking house

A raggy man on a tricorne stool

Shakes lips over several teeth

Looks down at shoeshine box

Up and around and

Speaks to his teeth.

Lips dodge among them in

Exercises and evasions,

Come adhesive together

In enveloping tactic, only to

Open, writhe and suck

To a circular sphincter

While the gills of his nose

Flutter pink,

What can all about them be

To cause such zounds

Of hostility?