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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
FOR LAUREL AND HARDY ON MY WORKROOM WALL, by DAVID WAGONER Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: They're tipping their battered derbies and striding forward Subject(s): Comedy; Hardy, Norvell (oliver) (1892-1957); Laurel, Stan (1890-1965); Motion Pictures; Movies; Cinema | |||
They're tipping their battered derbies and striding forward In step for a change, chipper, self-assured, Their cardboard suitcases labeled Guest of Steerage. They've just arrived at the boot camp Of the good old French Foreign Legion Which they've chosen as their slice of life Instead of drowning themselves. Once again They're about to become their own mothers and fathers And their own unknowable children Who will rehearse sad laughter and mock tears, Will frown with completely unsuccessful Concentration, and will practice the amazement Of suddenly understanding everything That baffles them and will go on baffling them While they pretend they're only one reel away From belonging in the world. Their arrival Will mark a new beginning of meaningless Hostilities with a slaphappy ending. In a moment, They'll hear music, and as if they'd known all along This was what they'd come for, they'll put down The mops and buckets given them as charms With which to cleanse the Sahara and move their feet With a calm, sure, delicate disregard For all close-order drill and begin dancing. Copyright 2001 by The Modern Poetry Association. This poem appears in the April 2001 issue of Poetry Magazine. http://poetrymagazine.org | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE LOST WORLD by RANDALL JARRELL THE MOVIE PICTURE COWBOY by EARL ALONZO BRININSTOOL THE HEREAFTER by AUGUST KLEINZAHLER JOHN WAYNE'S PERFUMES by WAYNE KOESTENBAUM A SERENE HEART AT THE MOVIES by WILLIAM MATTHEWS MOVIE STAR IN THE PROJECTION ROOM by EVE MERRIAM THE FIRST MOVIE by DAVID WAGONER |
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