Cirque d’Été (Pantoum)

A refugee from Chandni Chowk or Vienna’s Prater,
what are you doing by our swimming pool, horse?
Standing still, resigned, a follower of Zeno,
the patron saint of lazy bums and procrastinators,

what are you doing by our swimming pool, horse?
You could go in circles carrying a blasé prince of old,
a patron saint of lazy bums and procrastinators,
or hide in Reznikoff’s poem, with the centaur and the unicorn.

You could go in circles carrying a blasé prince of old,
but prefer to watch the clouds and the automobiles
(they hide in Reznikoff’s poem, with the centaur and the unicorn):
the clouds have tyre marks on them, they’re tyred clouds.

You choose to watch the clouds and the automobiles
standing still, resigned, followers of Zeno.
The clouds have tyre marks on them, they’re tyred clouds,
they’re refugees from Chandni Chowk or Vienna’s Prater.