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velvet hangs in stiff folds； Its tassels jarring slightly when someone
crosses the stage behind。 Gold carving edges the balconies； Rims the
boxes； Runs up and down fluted pillars。 Little knife…stabs of gold Shine
out whenever a box door is opened。 Gold clusters Flash in soft explosions
On the blue darkness； Suck back to a point； And disappear。 Hoops of gold
Circle necks； wrists； fingers； Pierce ears； Poise on heads And fly up above
them in coloured sparkles。 Gold！ Gold！ The opera house is a treasure…box
of gold。 Gold in a broad smear across the orchestra pit： Gold of horns；
trumpets； tubas； Gold spun…gold； twittering…gold； snapping…gold Of
harps。 The conductor raises his baton； The brass blares out Crass； crude；
Parvenu； fat； powerful； Golden。 Rich as the fat； clapping hands in the
boxes。 Cymbals； gigantic； coin…shaped； Crash。 The orange curtain parts
And the prima…donna steps forward。 One note； A drop： transparent；
iridescent； A gold bubble； It floats 。 。 。 floats 。 。 。 And bursts against the lips
of a bank president In the grand tier。
IV
Afternoon Rain in State Street
Cross…hatchings of rain against grey walls； Slant lines of black rain In
front of the up and down； wet stone sides of buildings。 Below； Greasy；
shiny； black； horizontal； The street。 And over it； umbrellas； Black polished
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Men； Women and Ghosts
dots Struck to white An instant； Stream in two flat lines Slipping past each
other with the smoothness of oil。 Like a four…sided wedge The Custom
House Tower Pokes at the low； flat sky； Pushing it farther and farther up；
Lifting it away from the house…tops； Lifting it in one piece as though it
were a sheet of tin； With the lever of its apex。 The cross…hatchings of rain
cut the Tower obliquely； Scratching lines of black wire across it；
Mutilating its perpendicular grey surface With the sharp precision of tools。
The city is rigid with straight lines and angles； A chequered table of blacks
and greys。 Oblong blocks of flatness Crawl by with low…geared engines；
And pass to short upright squares Shrinking with distance。 A steamer in
the basin blows its whistle； And the sound shoots across the rain hatchings；
A narrow； level bar of steel。 Hard cubes of lemon Superimpose themselves
upon the fronts of buildings As the windows light up。 But the lemon cubes
are edged with angles Upon which they cannot impinge。 Up； straight；
down； straight square。 Crumpled grey…white papers Blow along the side…
walks； Contorted； horrible； Without curves。 A horse steps in a puddle； And
white； glaring water spurts up In stiff； outflaring lines； Like the rattling
stems of reeds。 The city is heraldic with angles； A sombre escutcheon of
argent and sable And countercoloured bends of rain Hung over a four…
square civilization。 When a street lamp comes out； I gaze at it for fully
thirty seconds To rest my brain with the suffusing； round brilliance of its
globe。
V
An Aquarium
Streaks of green and yellow iridescence； Silver shiftings； Rings
veering out of rings； Silver gold Grey…green opaqueness sliding down；
With sharp white bubbles Shooting and dancing； Flinging quickly outward。
Nosing the bubbles； Swallowing them； Fish。 Blue shadows against silver…
saffron water； The light rippling over them In steel…bright tremors。
Outspread translucent fins Flute； fold； and relapse； The threaded light
prints through them on the pebbles In scarcely tarnished twinklings。
Curving of spotted spines； Slow up…shifts； Lazy convolutions： Then a
sudden swift straightening And darting below： Oblique grey shadows
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Men； Women and Ghosts
Athwart a pale casement。 Roped and curled； Green man…eating eels
Slumber in undulate rhythms； With crests laid horizontal on their backs。
Barred fish； Striped fish； Uneven disks of fish； Slip； slide； whirl； turn； And
never touch。 Metallic blue fish； With fins wide and yellow and swaying
Like Oriental fans； Hold the sun in their bellies And glow with light： Blue
brilliance cut by black bars。 An oblong pane of straw…coloured shimmer；
Across it； in a tangent； A smear of rose； black； silver。 Short twists and
upstartings； Rose…black； in a setting of bubbles： Sunshine playing between
red and black flowers On a blue and gold lawn。 Shadows and polished
surfaces； Facets of mauve and purple； A constant modulation of values。
Shaft…shaped； With green bead eyes； Thick…nosed； Heliotrope…coloured；
Swift spots of chrysolite and coral； In the midst of green； pearl； amethyst
irradiations。
Outside； A willow…tree flickers With little white jerks； And long blue
waves Rise steadily beyond the outer islands。
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