Darkened his eye, his wild smile disappeared,

inapprehensible his studies grew,

nourished he less & less

his subject body with good food & rest,

something bizarre about Henry, slowly sheared

off, unlike you & you,

smaller & smaller, till in question stood

his eyeteeth and one block of memories

These were enough for him

implying commands from upstairs & from down,

Walt’s ‘orbic flex,’ triads of Hegel would

incorporate, if you please,

into the know-how of the American bard

embarrassed Henry heard himself a-being,

and the younger Stephen Crane

of a powerful memory, of pain,

these stood the ancestors, relaxed & hard,

whilst Henry’s parts were fleeing.