Ezra Pound's Canto And The Girls's Behind. Poem by Terry Collett

It was the year
Elvis died
and you were working
in a warehouse

packing cakes
into pallets
reading Ezra Pound's
Cantos in lunch breaks

or studying
that book
on Spinoza
while the other guys

talked of ballgames
or sex
or who did what
to whom

in the daily news
and a young girl
from the upstairs office
came down

to the canteen
to use the drinks
vending machine
and as she turned to face

the machine
to make her choice
she wiggled her neat behind
and turned

and smiled at you
and Don said to you
I think she fancies you
I'm old enough

to be her father
you said
maybe she's looking
for a father figure

Kevin said
the girl pressed a button
and a disposable cup
fell into the slot

and hot coffee shot down
in a straight line
I'm happily married
you said keeping

a finger on your place
in Ezra's 20th Canto
she doesn't want
to marry you

Don said
she wants something
more basic
Kevin laughed

and the girl pushed
another button
and another cup fell
and cappuccino shot

into the cup
and you carried
an image
of the girl's neat butt

into your mind
where it mixed
with the Canto
and words

and images
Ezra was trying
to convey
and Don said to the girl

how far
do your legs go up?
and girl said
that's for me to know

and for you to guess
and she blushed
and walked off
with her wiggling behind

carrying the two coffees
in her small hands
and the guys followed her
with their lustful eyes

and you moved your finger
along the page
feeling like an old guy
weighed down with age.