Ron Padgett - How Long

in memory of Lorenzo Thomas

 

How long do you want to go on being the person you think you are?

How Long, a city in China

 

The nouns come toward you

“Knee how,” they say

To the cluster of synonyms also approaching

… has that evening train been gone?

How long, how long, baby, how long?

 

Let me know

if you ever change your mind

about leaving, leaving me behind

or at least tell yourself

before you find yourself on that train

winding its way through the mountains of How Much Province

 

The ten...