Castles in the Ampersand
by Eunice Lee
You’ve got everything, you’ve got
two mansions, one in &alusia,
the other in Maryl&, where your wife,
who looks like Judy Garl&, lives with her bichon;
a guy named &rew who’s been
running err&s for you since the eighties;
the d&iest h&made suits from Naples;
fifty gr& in your wallet; fluency in M&arin,
competence at the m&olin, mastery of
musical jargon, from &ante to acceler&o;
a ver&a, a telescope for seeing &romeda;
thick books, by Bertr& Russell,
thick books, on Alex&er the Great,
more thick books, about Archduke Ferdin&
(his assassination by the Black H&);
inc&escent c&les for
cl&estine meetings with ladies,
who croon sc&alous songs for you,
qu&o, qu&o, qu&o,
who also vow to you, & I
will always love you;
ch&eliers as frightening as your ego;
thous&s you can squ&er
at any r&om night,
private isl&s to
str& yourself in,
& more & more, until you realize
until you realize what?
You’ve got everything —
you me&er through life, that’s what you do.