Harassed Heathcliff

“And I am the cargo

Of a coffin attended by swallows.

And I am the water

Bearing the coffin that will not be silent.”

—Ted Hughes

____________________

I kept on being—

Haunted by Heathcliff

All the way to my last

Book of poetry "Ariel"

Ted haunted me—

On the London busses

He skulked thru my—

Uneasy nightly dreams

_______________

Taking a bath once—

Testing the water

With my little toe—

BINGO!!! there he was again!

Poor handsome Heathcliff—

Haunting his ex-wife Sylvia

Plus all the Feminists & those—

Lovely Lesbos Libers as well

_______________

No wonder Heathcliff—
Was so snotty & snide

Overly sensitive about—

The littlest dyke things

Getting all upset—

Over my “Rabbit Catcher”

As well as “Lesbos”—

For some queer reason