As a lover of American poetry,
I see Walt Whitman in his proper place –
the head of the poet’s race.
In Boston they run a race
that celebrates Liberty, our
big, beautiful, blind virtual Mom.
Many of US here know that liberal
rises from Liberty’s root, while conservative
is what the highest bidder says it is.
At any rate, as I was about to say, before
reality streamed in from the omnipresence,
Walt Whitman had this to say about
Victor Hugo, after reading Les Miserables:
“It may be that Hugo exalts, toplofticates,
the ragamuffins too much.” He toplofticates!
Dave Read