For a man who communed
with Gods and Greecian muses,
I did not expect the carpet pattern vest.
Nor the velvet coat complete by
slightly darker elbow coverings.
I did, however, expect the tobacco pipe.

I was happy to sit amongst
speckeled llanolium and white walls
mystified by Heidegger, Hegel, Rilke
mere mortals like me
who saw an abyss and chose it—
unearthing a second skin.
...