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“Dream Song 128” by John Berryman 🇺🇸 (25 Oct 1914 – 7 Jan 1972)
A hemorrhage of his left ear of Good Friday—
so help me Jesus—then made funny too
the other, further one.
There must have been a bit. Sheets scrubbed away
soon all but three nails. Doctors in this city O
will not (his wife cried) come.
Perhaps he’s for it. IF that Filipino doc
had diagnosed ah here in Washington
that ear-infection ha
he’d have been grounded, so in a hall for the ill
in Southern California, they opined.
The cabins at eight thou’
are pressurized, they swore, my love, bad for—
ten days ago—a dim & bloody ear,
or ears.
They say are sympathetic, ears, & hears
more than they should or
did.