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William Carlos Williams - Tract
Work rating: Medium

.  I will teach you my townspeople
    how to perform a funeral
    for you have it over a troop
    of artists-
    unless one should scour the world-
    you have the ground sense necessary.
    
    See! the hearse leads.
    I begin with a design for a hearse.
    For Christ`s sake not black-
    nor white either - and not polished!
    Let it be whethered - like a farm wagon -
    with gilt wheels (this could be
    applied fresh at small expense)
    or no wheels at all:
    a rough dray to drag over the ground.
    
    Knock the glass out!
    My God - glass, my townspeople!
    For what purpose? Is it for the dead
    to look out or for us to see
    the flowers or the lack of them -
    or what?
    To keep the rain and snow from him?
    He will have a heavier rain soon:
    pebbles and dirt and what not.
    Let there be no glass -
    and no upholstery, phew!
    and no little brass rollers
    and small easy wheels on the bottom -
    my townspeople, what are you thinking of?
    A rough plain hearse then
    with gilt wheels and no top at all.
    On this the coffin lies
    by its own weight.
    
                            No wreathes please-
    especially no hot house flowers.
    Some common memento is better,
    something he prized and is known by:
    his old clothes - a few books perhaps -
    God knows what! You realize
    how we are about these things
    my townspeople -
    something will be found - anything
    even flowers if he had come to that.
    So much for the hearse.
    
    For heaven`s sake though see to the driver!
    Take off the silk hat! In fact
    that`s no place at all for him -
    up there unceremoniously
    dragging our friend out to his own dignity!
    Bring him down - bring him down!
    Low and inconspicuous! I`d not have him ride
    on the wagon at all - damn him! -
    the undertaker`s understrapper!
    Let him hold the reins
    and walk at the side
    and inconspicuously too!
    
    Then briefly as to yourselves:
    Walk behind - as they do in France,
    seventh class, or if you ride
    Hell take curtains! Go with some show
    of inconvenience; sit openly -
    to the weather as to grief.
    Or do you think you can shut grief in?
    What - from us? We who have perhaps
    nothing to lose? Share with us
    share with us - it will be money
    in your pockets.
                     Go now
    I think you are ready.
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