The Revision By Aaron Bulman (excerpt)

I still liked anyothertime,anyotherplace. 

which means most
of my life, but it was now,
here, so I felt my life becoming sad.
and I was thinking this
too shall pass into later.
somewherelse. but I was getting sadder.
so I saw a new now and a new here, later.
and this now and this here
would be excluded from anyothertime
anyotherplace. later.

The Fourth Sign of the Zodiac (3) By Mary Oliver

I know, you never intended to be in this world.
But you’re in it all the same.

so why not get started immediately.

I mean, belonging to it.
There is so much to admire, to weep over.

And to write music or poems about.

Bless the feet that take you to and fro.
Bless the eyes and the listening ears.
Bless the tongue, the marvel of taste.
Bless touching.

You could live a hundred years, it’s happened.
Or not.
I am speaking from the fortunate platform
of many years,
none of which, I think, I ever wasted.
Do you need a prod?
Do you need a little darkness to get you going?
Let me be urgent as a knife, then,
and remind you of Keats*,
so single of purpose and thinking, for a while,
he had a lifetime.

The Frog

BY HILAIRE BELLOC

Be kind and tender to the Frog,

   And do not call him names,

As ‘Slimy skin,’ or ‘Polly-wog,’

   Or likewise ‘Ugly James,’

Or ‘Gape-a-grin,’ or ‘Toad-gone-wrong,’   

   Or ‘Billy Bandy-knees’:

The Frog is justly sensitive

   To epithets like these.

No animal will more repay

   A treatment kind and fair;

At least so lonely people say

Who keep a frog (and, by the way,   

They are extremely rare).

The Yak

BY HILAIRE BELLOC

As a friend to the children commend me the Yak.   

   You will find it exactly the thing:

It will carry and fetch, you can ride on its back,   

   Or lead it about with a string.

The Tartar who dwells on the plains of Thibet   

   (A desolate region of snow)

Has for centuries made it a nursery pet,   

   And surely the Tartar should know!

Then tell your papa where the Yak can be got,   

   And if he is awfully rich

He will buy you the creature—or else he will not.

   (I cannot be positive which.)