Chitra Ganesh, How to Assemble a Flying Car (detail), 2018, linocut on tan BFK Rives. Courtesy of the artist & Durham Press.
The Rule of Three
In 1492 Columbus discovered America.
In 1942 I was born.
In 1492 Sandro Botticelli drew in silverpoint and ink his
“Ascent to the Primum Mobile.”
Christopher came over,
I came forth,
and they went up.
Like a comic strip character that comes to real life,
you enter from the left,
step into a new scene—
here’s one that has you in a hammock
for your little siesta—
and in the final box a punch line.
Then the newspaper is folded
and dropped beside the armchair,
as dad rises into the evening air
with the evening newspaper and the evening chair,
all suddenly sort of Chinese.
Ron Padgett is an American poet, essayist, and translator often associated with the New York School. The author of more than nine full-length publications, Padgett also co-founded Full Court Press and worked as a designer for computer writing games. (updated 7/2010)