2 early poems

by horace p sternwall

illustrated by rhoda penmarq

madness doctor, am i going mad? please be the friend i never had tell me, are things what they seem or are they only just a dream? doctor, doctor, please tell me is this life but a fantasy? why in all the wide world free must only i have eyes to see? now am i afraid to sleep lest creatures from the the swirling deep rise up and swallow not just me but all so-called humanity why must i who had such faith be now a disappearing wraith? why must i lie in this dark room my brain the screen of universal doom? * at the club my grandfather soames who made the family fortune had difficulty getting his point across to my grandmother emily or to women in general or to servants, foreigners, cab drivers, birds, cats or even dogs but with horses and men of his own class he got on very well indeed when the automobile replaced the horse he was devastated and never really recovered his eldest son, my cousin edmund who had heretofore (am i using that word correctly?) languished in his father's shadow became a champion race car driver and quite the most famous member of the family his exploits had to be followed in the new york times because the transcript, of course regarded them as unworthy of notice i could go on in this vein for a while yet but i fear that i am boring you please forgive me would you like another drink? *