El Corrido De Stanley Kunitz

Part 3 of 5

By this time Henry and Mr. Bones
have rushed to Stanley’s side,
hold him up as best they can,

offer him a cigarette,
roll up his ancient parachute.
“It’s ok, they’ll get everybody out.”

Mr. Bones tells Stanley
while Stanley recites a poem
he wrote in 1943,

“ a flower, a knee..” he rambles on.
Stanley, the poetic American,
yes, the very poetic American

we thought had died in 1958.
Eisenhower semen has destroyed
the will of the gringo.

Suddenly one of the buildings collapses.
Stanley can’t believe his eyes
and his eyes can’t believe Stanley.