Now

FREDRIK:

Now, as the sweet imbecilities

Tumble so lavishly

Onto her lap,

Now, there are two possibilities:

A, I could ravish her,

B, I could nap.

Say

It's the ravishment, then we see

The option

That follows, of course:

A,

The deployment of charm, or B,

The adoption

Of physical force.

Now, B might arouse her,

But if I assume

I trip on my trouser

Leg crossing the room...

Her hair getting tangled,

Her stays getting snapped,

My nerves would be jangled,

My energy sapped...

Removing her clothing

Would take me all day,

And her subsequent loathing

Would turn me away,

Which eliminates B

And which leaves us with A.

Now, insofar as approaching it,

What would be festive

But have its effect?

Now, there are two ways of broaching it:

A, the suggestive,

And B, the direct.

Say

That I settle on B, to wit,

A charmingly

Lecherous mood,

A,

I could put on my nightshirt or sit

Disarmingly,

B, in the nude.

That might be effective;

My body's all right--

But not in perspective

And not in the light.

I'm bound to be chilly

And feel a buffoon,

But nightshirts are silly

In mid-afternoon.

Which leaves the suggestive,

But how to proceed?

Although she gets restive,

Perhaps I could read.

In view of her penchant

For something romantic,

De Sade is to trenchant

And Dickens too frantic,

And Stendhal would ruin

The plan of attack,

As there isn't much blue in

"The Red and the Black."

De Maupassant's candour

Would cause her dismay,

The Brontes are grander

But not very gay,

Her taste is much blander,

I'm sorry to say,

But is Hans Christian Ander-

Sen ever risque?

Which eliminates A...

Now, with my mental facilities

Partially muddied

And ready to snap,

Now, though there are possibilities

Still to be studied,

I might as well nap.

Bow

Though I must

To adjust

My original plan,

How

Shall I sleep

Half as deep

As I usually can,

When now I still want and/or love you,

Now as always,

Now, Anne?