Excess Poem by gershon hepner

“Give me excess, I plead, of youth, ”
the poet says, and feels immortal,
but if he only knew the truth
however would he make us chortle?

Sebastian, known as Johann Bach,
once said: “Ich habe quite genug, ”
which, middle-aged heresiarch,
I say in poems and my book.

Both thoughts should make a person smile,
for when you think you have enough
and youth no longer is in style
excess is all you can rebuff.


(3/30/01)