that poets who deserve her
have the right to be heard
being unprepared i tried
to put my best self forward
she asked whom did i know
and I said no one
she asked me whom i dug
and i said lots of people
well what i mean is
by whom have you been influenced
quickly i chose
nicanor parra
and frank ohara
because they rhymed
a week later i was invited
to read some poems in a
bar
on seventythird street
my question is this
what if i had said the truth
and named instead poor young
catullus and dirty old martial
and their red hardons