Respectability
It is unhinging: the opposite view
of your cabinet, where face value
persists with surface and polish,
Johnston & Murphy, J. Crew
thus arrayed, for this captain
whose collections you guard
like any stowaway tested, proved good—
here’s Captain, still trusting
a throat to your blade, its velocity
creeping to gale force, keen
on overtaking all terrestrial
rotation. While the next passing
siren swells its patriot’s flag
of caterwaul heralding war, here
a silk tongue rolls out like
hush, with inveigling knot
of the professional patois.
How long since one’s expression
creased with hint
of rebellion; conquest
demands its cohesions.
So huff more steam
across a starched white sea,
lean right and left, each
for the same black coffee.
If one turned even by a hair
uncertain, who would here stand
as our sir in sworn loyalty,
attend at the buttoning
of this left-handed cuff,
take a next shift
as first mate without mutiny
when only one of him believes
in bounty out there—
but enough: to dare sirens,
push off.
It is unhinging: the opposite view
of your cabinet, where face value
persists with surface and polish,
Johnston & Murphy, J. Crew
thus arrayed, for this captain
whose collections you guard
like any stowaway tested, proved good—
here’s Captain, still trusting
a throat to your blade, its velocity
creeping to gale force, keen
on overtaking all terrestrial
rotation. While the next passing
siren swells its patriot’s flag
of caterwaul heralding war, here
a silk tongue rolls out like
hush, with inveigling knot
of the professional patois.
How long since one’s expression
creased with hint
of rebellion; conquest
demands its cohesions.
So huff more steam
across a starched white sea,
lean right and left, each
for the same black coffee.
If one turned even by a hair
uncertain, who would here stand
as our sir in sworn loyalty,
attend at the buttoning
of this left-handed cuff,
take a next shift
as first mate without mutiny
when only one of him believes
in bounty out there—
but enough: to dare sirens,
push off.