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Teaching the Ape to Write Poems James Tate

 

They didn’t have much trouble
teaching the ape to write poems:
first they strapped him into the chair,
then tied the pencil around his hand
(the paper had already been nailed down).
Then Dr. Bluespire leaned over his shoulder
and whispered into his ear:
“You look like a god sitting there.
Why don’t you try writing something?”

From Absences
Copyright © 1970 by James Tate
Reprinted with permission of the author

 
 


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