The Sonnetarium - Lewis Turco

THE FOREWORD BLUES

Wesli Court said I should write a book,

A bunch of blues—enough to fill a book,

And he’d design the cover. I said, “Look,

If you’ll write half of them, then I will choose

A ball-point pen, a felt-tip—I will choose

To join you in a modicum of blues.”

And that’s the reason, Reader, we are here—

You, Wes and me—we three assembled here

Among these turning leaves yellow and sere.

We hope you’ll think the words we write are fine,

Our writing bold and dark, but our wordage fine . . . ,

At least we hope you’ll like the cover design.

Envoy Epilogue

Go, little book of sorrows, cares and woes,

But Wesli’s gone. Where? Only goodness knows.