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Tate James Tate
1943-2015

"Teaching the Ape
to Write Poems"

(From "Absences: New Poems", 1970)

 
They didn't have much trouble
teaching the ape to write poems:
first they strapped him into the chair
then tied his 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?"

© James Tate
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