Back Next The Examination

There she blows
a
slick
slippery
shift shadow
that everyone knows

At last
an uncowardly
bowel movement
defecated in front of all

Gone is the cunning trick
"Here I am folks the
uncunning prick"

A Charlie Chaplin special
lived out in reality

In front f
not behind the backs of
these
passport givers
these traffic lighters
that shall say
Yes
or
no
green
or
red
he
said:
"Never
with one of
you
will I have contact.
As everyone here knows
he dumps crap
on plaintiff's clothes"

A stunned silence

There they sat
what else could they do
but send the candidate back?

He
cried all night
Baked
with therapy
all year

When before them
he re-appeared
he was as pious
as a country daisy

Now he
and his
accursed arbitrator
will determine through mutual therapy
who
and
what
went
really
crazy

Irwin R. Shaw - August 25th 1989