DICTATION POETRY

Keith Vaughan 1912-1977
Two Figures, c1960

Dictation Poetry
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“…and so in a few
thousand years,
I who regard you will
also have sprung
from the loins of
African kings.”
—William Faulkner,
Absalom, Absalom

“That be a long time—
A long time to wait & see
Don’t you think so, huh?”

Shreve McCannon smirked—
Smoking a cigarette there
Stretching out in bed.

He just closed his eyes—
Young naked Shreve so pale white
After we made love.

It was freezing cold—
Outside in the Harvard quad
Our dorm room cold too.

We’d stayed up all night—
Reading the Sutpen ledgers
Doing our séance.

Quentin, Charles Bon—
Young Henry & Dalton Ames
They’d all talked to us.

It took a long time—
They each had their own version
Of what happened then…