AFTER EATING ALL THAT I COULD
I LEFT
AND I RETURNED HOME,
NOW IM ABOUT TO KICK UP MY FEET AND TRY TO RELAX.
I GO OVER MY DINNER IN MY MIND.
I THINK OF THE THINGS THAT I ORDERED
MOLLUSKS MOSTLY
I HAD STARTED WITH AN ENDIVE SALAD—
THAT'S WHEN I DECIDED IT WAS GOING TO BE FISH
FOR THE MAIN COURSE
SHELLFISH—
AND LOTS OF IT.
AT FIRST IT WAS ALL SO DELICIOUS—
THE MORSELS—
THE VARIETY OF LITTLE
SHELL TYPES AND
LITTLE CRAB LEGS
AND CRAYFISH
AND THEN AS I CONTINUED TO EAT
THROUGH THE PLATES—
THROUGH THE SHELLS ON ICE—
THE FOOD BECAME
TO FEEL SLIMY
AND EVEN GREASY
AS I MOVED ON WITH MY FORK AND MY FINGERS—
SQUEEZING A LEMON HERE
A SQUIRT OF MALT VINEGAR THERE
TOSSING THE EMPTIES INTO AN ELABORATE BOWL—
USING MY ARMS AND FINGERS TO SIGNAL TO THE WAITER
THAT—
I NEEDED A TWIST OF CRACKED PEPPER
OR TO BREAK THE SEAL OF OYSTER CRACKERS—
USING MY FORK AND SPOON
I BLENDED SOME INGREDIENTS BY DIPPING
OR BY STACKING ITEMS ON MY FORK—
I PROCEEDED THROUGH THE COURSES
UNTIL AFTER HAVING TAKEN THE LAST SWALLOW
FROM MY GLASS—
OFF A NOW EMPTY BOTTLE OF CRISP
DRY WHITE WINE—
I FELT SO
FULL
I ALMOST THOUGHT THAT MAYBE I WAS GOING TO BE SICK
BUT NO—
NOT HERE—
NOT IN THIS BEAUTIFUL RESTAURANT—
AND ALTOGETHER NOT AT ALL
BECAUSE I KNOW THE TRUTH,
THAT I'M ONLY FULL,
AND I KNOW THAT
ALL THE FISH
WAS FRESH
IT HAD TO BE—
AND BESIDES, IT
TASTED GREAT.

AND NOW HAVING
RETREATED TO THE COMFORT OF MY COUCH
I CAN TURN MY MIND TO OTHER PLEASURES
PLEASURES OF MUSIC,
PLEASURES OF SONG
I LET MY VOICE EXALT IN MY ROOMS

DO I LIKE TO SING
A LITTLE BIT?
CAN I HEAR THE SOUND
OF YOUR FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING
MY EAGER HEART FLUTTERS  AT THE THOUGHT
AT THE CHANCE
THAT I WON'T BE SOLITARILY
CHILLING IN THIS PLACE TONIGHT—

AND I WONDER,
IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE,
WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME OVER HERE
AND PARTY WITH ME?

AND I KNOW THAT I'M IN A POSITION
THAT SOMEONE LIKE YOU
MIGHT BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE—
HOW IT FEELS FOR ME.
I'M AMBLING
I'M AMBLING NOW—
FROM ROOM TO ROOM
FROM THE KITCHEN
BACK TO THE LIVINGROOM

IF I COULD ONLY HAVE—
IF I COULD ONLY
HAVE THE TIME,
AND THE MONEY—
TO DECK OUT THIS BUILDING
IN SOME MORE KIND OF
A CLASSIC STYLE—
RIGHT NOW IT'S KIND OF A MODERN STYLE
JUST BRICK
PLASTER, STEEL, GLASS—
AND DESPITE MARBLE APPOINTMENTS,
STAINLESS STEEL FIXTURES
GOLD LEAF TRIM
AND CERTAIN SMOOTH GRANITE SURFACES

I'M THINKING NOW
THAT DESPITE THE FACT I CAN
SPLURGE A BIT ON DINNERS—
LIKE THE ONE TONIGHT
OVER WHICH MY LABORING INTESTINES
ARE CURRENTLY SECRETING AND GROANING
IT'S A STRAIN OF FISHY ORGANS ON MY ORGANS
AND WINE—
NOW I DRINK WATER

AND NOW—
ENDURING A MOMENT OF INSIGHT
I CAN SEE
SOMETHING THAT'S TRUE
THAT THIS—
HOUSE
THIS—
BUILDING
WILL NEVER EMBODY
THE GRANDILOQUENT BEAUX-ARTS ESSENCE
THAT I LOVE
(LIKE THAT RESTAURANT HAD)

THAT TIME IS GONE ANYWAY
IT WON'T BE MY LIFE
I WILL NOT BE ABLE
TO ROAM THESE SAME ROOMS
IN BEAUX-ARTS GRANDILOQUENCE—

NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRIED TO REMODEL
I CAN NOT HAVE ART DECO ESSENCE EITHER
NOT TO KEEP—

NOR DO I CARE———
WHY WOULD SOMEBODY
WANT TO WASTE TIME
LONGING FOR SOMETHING THEY CAN'T HAVE
WHEN WHAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE—
IS THE ONLY THING THAT THEY'RE EVER GOING TO NEED—
WHO THEY ARE—
WHO I AM—
AND HOW I FEEL,
I WONDER IF YOU CAN BEGIN TO FEEL
THROUGH A POWER OF MY MUSIC———

THROUGH MY ART

AND IT WOULDN'T MATTER
HOW MUCH SEAFOOD I WAS ABLE TO EAT:
MY FAVORITE CLAMS EVERYDAY FOR LUNCH
AND RANDOM SELECTION OF FISH FOR DINNER

—OR—IF I WAS ABLE TO NOT AFFORD A TOTAL REDECORATION
RESEMBLING ART DECO,
OR WHAT I'M REALLY INTO RIGHT NOW WHICH IS BEAUX-ARTS!


WHY, MIGHT YOU ASK
IS MY MARBLE AND GRANITE FITTINGS
THAT IS ALREADY PLACED—
NOT IN FACT BEAUX-ARTS
BECAUSE, YES—
THE APPOINTMENTS, THE TOUCHES, THE PURPOSE AND MEANING
IS INSTALLED WITH WHAT IS MY PASSION
CURRENTLY (BEAUX-ARTS REVIVAL) ?