BOB HART

HANDSOME EVERYONE KNOWS

Old men are handsome—everyone knows—

comely I say!

They look like dried fish in the face

but dried fish painted

by a fierce, fervent Spaniard—

dried fish salted

when needing a shave;

leathery-lovely as if

to jump off the cutting board

cobbledy-hobbledy:

a codpiece ready to rule and

right as religion; potent as

politics; well possessed

as caviar sacs.

Old men. Old men. Stare them

in the face if you're able.

Invite them to the table.

Bob Hart is a member of Bruce Weber's No Chance Ensemble and a favorite at the Pink Pony West Poetry Reading series. He has performed as a spoken word artist as well as an actor in venues all over New York City. His first chapbook is entitled Acrobat.