two pretentious modern poets approached a publisher
he couldn’t begin to make sense of their stuff
but their reputation had preceded them
they had appeared in Landfall
they had massive arts grants
he published
reviewers couldn’t make anything of it either
though apparently everyone else understood
the editor of Landfall
the arts grant people
they raved
the committees choosing school text books
were naturally even more confused
but since the critics claimed that
it set new directions
they bought
lumbered school teachers were duly impressed
convincing themselves of its merits
that they glimpsed subtle depths
as did the experts
they waffled
but clear-minded children knew that arts grants
were lolly scrambles preserving mediocrity
that the emperor had no clothes
the stuff was rubbish
like the above
they puked