a moveable boast

a moveable boast

he hung his worn

felt hat

on the hook

inside the clean

well-lighted café

he liked

and sat down

to work on his

suicide

he was poor

and struggling

compared to scott

and was on

his way

to see gertrude stein

when he ducked

out

of the paris winter rain

to have

a couple of rum martiniques

and write

one true sentence

he finished his story

and ordered a plate

of oysters and

white wine

that washed away

the metallic taste

he and hadley

must go

to austria

and ski

for a few months

where there is no rain

only sun and snow

they’ll keep

the paris flat

in the hotel

where verlaine died

and rent a place

in the mountains

for more money

but he has the money

because

he just sold

three articles to toronto

in writing, he said

what you leave out

is most important:

-         his family is rich

-         hadley’s family is richer

-         he grew up with

five servants in the house

and has one in paris

for six months

in a rooming house

i lived on ramen noodles

writing my first novel

and contracted

scurvy

and eight teeth fell out

what i wish to leave out are:

-         the ramen noodles

-         the dealers

-         and imbeciles

-         and my most

frequent caller,

a guy who murdered

his best friend

trout fishing

i’m too malnourished

and tired

to pose

outside shakespeare & co.

i just sold

three articles

to the boston globe

paid rent

on this room

and put the rest down

on a life raft