Fantasia Ii Poem by robert dickerson

'The cabs ignore me when I hail; children ignore me; cops;
the man in the kiosk ignores me; my daughter in Oriente
ignores me; the pigeons shuffling chuffily in the park ignore me;
the only person who doesn't ignore me
is the landlord each month when the rent is due'.

'My glasses ignore my nose; my lips ignore my teeth;
the cup ignores my mouth; my wig ignores my head;
my belt ignores my waist; the sheets ignore my bed;
and I am so old it would seem Senor Death himself ignores me'.
A terrible and foolish thing to say,

because at that moment Senor Death was strolling nearby
quite within earshot, walking the bones of his chihuahua
down Fifth Avenue, seen by none at all. The little fellow
stopped and turned his eyeholes toward Senor Death, who, miffed,
nevertheless bent down and patted his head. He wagged his bony tail.