A Letter to Hitler
Last winter we were
short of firewood and
it was good and cold
so we used a lot of
old books that were
in the attic just old
novels nobody would
ever want to read but
we found they made
plenty of heat and
twice they set the
chimney afire when
a burning page went
up with the draft and
we found they would
smoulder a long time
after you thought the
fire was all out and
then suddenly burst
into flame & another
thing they made ashes
that wouldn't stay in
the grate but floated
out all over the room!
______________________
JAMES LAUGHLIN
Some Natural Things
New Directions
1945
