Week #11—Improv

 

Error [First verse]

                       by Ted Hughes
I brought you to Devon. I brought you into my dreamland.

I sleepwalked you

Into my land of totems. Never-never land:

The orchard in the West.

                                            I wrestled

With the blankets, the caul and the cord,

And you stayed with me

Gallant and desperate and hopeful,

Listening for different gods, stripping off

Your American royalty, garment by garment—

Till you stepped out soul-naked and stricken

Into this cobbled, pictureless corridor

Aimed at a graveyard.

Delusion

            by Pauline Rodwell

I welcomed you to happiness. I shared my numerous blessings.

I inhaled you

Into my world of order. Organization:

The bane of lazy folk.

                                                I juggled

All the classes, the planning and performances,

And you helped me

Supportive and resistant and tentative

Searching for distractions, withholding

Your enthusiasm, incident by incident—

Till you freaked out scared shitless and cornered

Into this disjointed, meaningless scenario

Destined for disaster.