London Crossfigured

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London

 crossfigured 
 creeping with trams

 and the artists on sundays
  in the summer 
 all ‘tracking Nature’
  in the suburbs

  It
  could have been anyplace 
  but it wasn’t
 It was
 London

 and when someone shouted over

that they had got a model

  I ran out across the court

 but then
 when the model started taking off
  her clothes
 there was nothing underneath
 I mean to say 
  she took off her shoes
  and found no feet 
 took off her top
 and found no tit
 under it
 and I must say she did look
  a bit
  ASTOUNDED
  just standing there
 looking down
 at where her legs were
 not

 But so very carefully then
 she put her clothes back on 
and as soon as she was dressed again
 completely
  she was completely
  all right

  Do it again! cried someone
  rushing for his easel

  But she was afraid to

 
  and gave up modelling 

 and forever after

 
  slept in her clothes

© Gaius Valerius Catullus