8 | "A little shade" [pantoum]

This street could use a little shade
this hat could use a little slant
my heart could use a little aid
my sandwich needs a little ant
this hat could use a little slant
for slanting shows the lyric sense
my sandwich needs a little ant
to recollect a sense of whence

for slanting shows the lyric sense
you'll notice this in many a branch
to recollect a sense of whence
I'd recommend a country dance
you'll notice this in many a branch
how leaves are dark and light in turn
I'd recommend a country dance
at least if you've got time to burn

how leaves are dark and light in turn
the bitter fruit to sweet aspires
at least if you've got time to burn
but little space the ash requires
the bitter fruit to sweet aspires
the future diver learns to wade
but little space the ash requires
this street could use a little shade



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Pantoum beginning and ending with a line borrowed from Charles Simic -- the first line of his "Shading Exercise," in My Noiseless Enterouge (2005).

This is no. 8 in a sequence, Early Autumn Pantoums