The Poetry of
Michael G. Khmelnitsky

the cow says moo

the childless philosopher says
the child is the father
of the man

the mother says
man is the brother
of man

the poet says
man is the lover
of man


the cat says meow
the dog barks

the child
counting on small fat fingers
says

i have many fathers
father blood
father mind

father heart
father night
the father of brains

blood and semen
the god of night
the father and the lover of the child


the cow sleeps
the cat sleeps
the dog sleeps

the man writes
the father has
one child

but the child has
many fathers
the man writes

the son of man
has no father
but the child has many

the child is the father
of the man
but man is his own father