Appetite (6)

To seem prepared, (because the night traffic
or sangiovese importune,) he finds himself a film,
pictures to delve or squander hours on,
considering the charmed address and bachelor
excesses, the invitations lingering:  Then
each from each steps time, whether to daybright frauds,
adding up his own, or into splendid shade,
letting the noon light entertain the corner tables
and piazza, accenting a memory for islands
and for channel depths:  But try to convince,
arrange the covers over it!   And premonitions
brim, and engines lock themselves, and words,
assisted by sea-spray, assume a natural surrogance,
shimmering to him from shop-murals,
in looks done multiply, even as sea's glow eases
the needs of supper crowds, and the nests
go dim, sea-roll and berried lines of hedges darkening,
whispering to the hearts misfortune sped,
because the water's good and equal to the dry spells,
because a gloved joke sets the mood,
and dinner chat assumes the sequels of permission,
meaning a right word does, because
the host will ask and find no one dissatisfied, will quiet
the wash, the crisp event, bilge trailing
then lost in an enlarging story-line, or in these
co-realities, to which the senses seem to yield,
where he withstands its sovereign or trifling claims
to him, and, picking up the glide, the brooding
or broken loves, restored by his consent
or by a generous kempt beverage, or by the milks
of galaxy, poured then steadied on iced glass,
and the moods refinished, where
stars peep in on them.

 

© Appetite (2)