PBOB II by Ahsan Masood
I
This book is sold subject
To the condition that
It shall not, by way of
Trade or otherwise,
Be lent, resold, hired-out
Or otherwise circulated
To poofs or yids without
The publisher’s prior consent.
II
February first, February.
We are the yellow men
We are the gay men,
Groping each-other
Codpiece filled with straw. Alas!
This collection does not
Care for American poets–
That is to say, we think
They are very good
But just not appropriate
For now. Gayber & Faber, Ltd.
III
Look, racism and homophobia.
IV
For permission to reprint,
For a poem by Elizabeth Bishop,
For all poems by e. e. cummings,
For Robert Frost,
Lowell, Layton,
Drayton, Clayton,
For all the poems,
For all the yellow men
And sodomites–
(Not excluding Ginsberg
And the guzzlers)–
For Finkler and the
Gold teeth, sweaters,
Tinklers, and a poem by
Our dearest William,
(A practicing physician):
‘Your thighs are very slender.’
V
All cowards are Jews,
All Jews are soddys,
All soddys are damned,
So all cowards are liberals.
All liberals are over-thinkers.
(All over-thinkers are cowards).
VI
The publishers would like to
Gratefully acknowledge themselves.
~ Rowland Bagnall
Rowland Bagnall is a 21 year-old student of English Literature, currently based in Oxford. He is the third of five children, and hopes to write for a living. His poetic interests include e.e. cummings and John Berryman.Â
