Contents

In praise of lesser gods
I How is your dog?
II No one is writing to you
III It pains me quite a lot
IV But yet it’s sweet
V There were II many reasons not II
VI Theirs was a disastrous love affair
VII Like many others failing to be happy
VIII Twice inquired about being jealous
IX Too naked to be true
X It seems now you could appreciate more fiction
XI What am I doing with that English of yours?

Told Cecilia
I Cecilia never went to school
II Ve œlu toldot, – told Cecilia
III Cecilia, – told Cecilia
IV It was Cecilia, – told Cecilia
V So it was not for him
VI When Cecilia was nearly raped
VII Los pinceles, – dijo Cecilia, – que usó
VIII When Cecilia was nearly raped
IX Dante Gabriel called him Duns Scotus
X So he didn’t want to see
XI When Cecilia was nearly eight
XII When Cecilia was nearly fourteen
XIII Am I
XIV Excuse me, – told Cecilia
XV Loathing, – told Cecilia
XVI Such a freedom I had
XVII Something should remain untold
XVIII When Cecilia was four, five, six
XIX Somebody should love monsters as well
XX When Cecilia was six months old
XXI But you
XXII This is a sort of post dictum

I’m not Christina Rossetti
I Again I lied
II For once I told the truth
III Oh, but was there nothing besides to relish
IV I almost heard it, when this ear
V-VII Trifoil
V It was that simple: plainly: love for love
VI It is that simple: plainly: pain for pain
VII It’ll be that simple: plainly: love for love
VIII What a pleasing thought
IX It doesn’t ring true
X I could be grateful for the lovely gifts
XI Please, let me, let me

But I also read Tennyson (from the index of first lines)

(c) Gali-Dana Singer
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the author.