The only thing that attracted my eye to this poem was a previous reader’s notes. There were arrows and underlines and words. My first thought: finally, some worthwhile notes from someone who understands poetry. I was saved, or so I thought. There were question marks a plenty and comments: describes night-gowns, do not relate w/ eachother, poem doesn’t seem to all connect together.

Crap. See, this is why I don’t like poetry. I tried to be artsy and obscure, but who was I kidding. And, that’s why I yell back in the face of this published crazy: WHO ARE YOU KIDDING?

Disillusionment of Ten O’Clock

The houses are haunted
By white night-gowns.
None are green,
Or purple with green rings,
Or green with yellow rings,
Or yellow with blue rings.
WIth socks of lace
And beaded ceintures.
People are not going
To dream of baboons and periwinkles.
Only, here and there, an old sailor,
Drunk and asleep in his boots,
Catches tigers
In red winter.

And this crap is going to keep me from graduating? This school is trying to tell me that understanding this is the best use of my time and is imperative to being a well-adjusted and educated member of society?!