Marred

This headache of a morning
is split wide open with birdsong,
such yipping and piping
and shrill whistling from the lawn, 
the cardinal gloats in the elm’s top
and drives his sharp treble
like a nail into my eardrums.
And the sun bursts unannounced
into my bedroom, squats on the floor
in a yellow uniform and stares
at my eyes until they hurt.
Show me a door I can back out of
in my sullen clothes and come back in
dressed as I should be to delight
my wife’s eyes this summer morning.

    Original Citation

    Sparrow Magazine (July 1965) 21.

    Word Count
    93
    Original Publication
    Date Published
    1965
    Book Appearance
    Complete Poems
    152
    Re-publication
    North American Review (1974) 31.
    Theme(s)
    First Line
    This headache of a morning
    Poetic Form
    open