Billy Collins

ANOTHER BILLY COLLINS

MOMENT

I've noticed a flurry of Billy adulation

floating through several blogs recently,

mine included.

I am his biggest fan. In fact,

I wrote the following poem about him

last year when I made the discovery

that not only were we both born

in NYC, but we share the same birth date.

Billy...I salute you!!!

BEING BILLY COLLINS

I want to kidnap you,

immobilize your transferred body,

throw you down

on white paper,

place your arms at your sides,

then grab a pitch black

pointy pencil,

outline your stock-still body,

because I'm about to

become you.

Not like you. Just you.

With ceremony,

I'll place myself within

the sketched border,

transforming, transforming...

It's only fair that this occur.

Proof:

March 22nd

our mutual date of birth.

I'm the one meant to be

the celebrated poet,

to know what it's like

to have the literary world

rally round my accomplished patois.

Billy, you were meant

to take a seat and stare

at this anesthetizing screen.

And here you are,

punch drunk from lack of sleep,

clutching my napping cat

upon your sprawling lap,

wondering what you're doing here.

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