Dream Song 118: He wondered: Do I love? all this applause

He wondered: Do I love? all this applause,

young beauties sitting at my feet & all,

and all.

It tires me out, he pondered: I'm tempted to break laws

and love myself, or the stupid questions asked me

move me to homicide—

so many beauties, one on either side,

the wall's behind me, into which I crawl

out of my repeating voice—

the mike folds down, the foolish askers fall

over theirselves in an audience of ashes

and Henry returns to rejoice

in dark & and still, and one sole beauty only

who never walked near Henry while the mob

was at him like a club:

she saw through things, she saw that he was lonely

and waited while he hid behind the wall

and all.