On Reaching Age 83
For Shakespeare
As second childishness and mere oblivion
Draw near, I keep the lights above the privy on.
What I Really Loathe About Cockroaches
A dead roach lies upon its back,
Its inner workings plain to view,
And as you bend to sweep it up
It feebly waves a curse at you.
Gail White is proud of her long association with Light. From her back porch in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, she thumbs her nose at The Paris Review and The New Yorker. Light verse will outlast them all.