A parody of John Updike's poem I Missed His Book, But I Read His Name By Mory Keita
Though author are a savage people
To be guillotined if you can,
I’d like to spare the Indian,
M. Anantanarayanan.
I picture him as short and cherry.
We’d meet, perhaps, in Bombay.
I’d yell, with clumsy elan,
“Ah, Antanarayanan --
I’ve heard of you, the Bounty hunter once bade
denars on your head, a
Bountiful sum and renown. “
And Anantanarayanan
Would bride me with a novel
And sign his name – that unmelodious span
Of ‘a’s and ‘n’s more lovely than
‘In xanadu, Kuban khan smoking pipe”--
Aloud to me all season. I plan
Henceforth to spare the life
Of Anantanarayanan----
M.Anantanarayanan.
Below is the original poem by the great John Updike.
I Missed His Book But I Read His Name by John Updike
Though authors are a dreadful clan
To be avoided if you can,
I'd like to meet the Indian,
M. Anantanarayanan.
I picture him as short and tan.
We'd meet, perhaps, in Hindustan.
I'd say, with admirable elan ,
"Ah, Anantanarayanan --
I've heard of you. The Times once ran
A notice on your novel, an
Unusual tale of God and Man."
And Anantanarayanan
would seat me on a lush divan
and read his name -- that sumptuous span
of 'a's and 'n's more lovely than
"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan" --
Aloud to me all day. I plan
Henceforth to be an ardent fan
of Anantanarayanan --
M. Anantanarayanan.
Note: This poem is one of my favorites. i like it so much that i sometime recite it in bed. it happens that updide didn't intend to write this poem to the more know M.Anantanarayanan but another person with the same name
.
Shared with the One Stop Poetry community.
I Missed His Book , But I Read His Name
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