Arrow Men

(after an illustration by J.C. Leyendecker)

All I can see of Joe's face lost
behind the paper is its newsprint,
billowing out like sail
or lyre, so thirled to his
sedentary form his head
is simply headlines, leader
articles, ads for the Arrow
shirts and collars we illustrate.
Illustrations, that's all we are,
and if there's 'lustre' or
'illustrious' embedded here,
there's also 'lust' and 'ill'.

Well, we're Big Sixes,
Joe College and Joe Yale,
cat's pyjamas, whiskers, meow,
...