The Sun woke me this morning loud 
and clear, saying "Hey! I've been 
trying to wake you up for fifteen 
minutes. Don't be so rude, you are 
only the second poet I've ever chosen 
to speak to personally

so why
aren't you more attentive? If I could 
burn you through the window I would 
to wake you up. I can't hang around 
here all day."

 "Sorry, Sun, I stayed
up late last night talking to Hal."

"When I woke up Mayakovsky he was 
a lot more prompt" the Sun said 
petulantly. "Most people are up 
already waiting to see if I'm going 
to put in an appearance."

I tried
to apologize "I missed you yesterday."
"That's better" he said. "I didn't 
know you'd come out." "You may be 
wondering why I've come so close?" 
"Yes" I said beginning to feel hot 
wondering if maybe he wasn't burning me 
anyway.

 "Frankly I wanted to tell you 
I like your poetry. I see a lot 
on my rounds and you're okay. You may 
not be the greatest thing on earth, but 
you're different. Now, I've heard some 
say you're crazy, they being excessively 
calm themselves to my mind, and other 
crazy poets think that you're a boring 
reactionary. Not me.

 Just keep on 
like I do and pay no attention. You'll 
find that people always will complain 
about the atmosphere, either too hot 
or too cold too bright or too dark, days
too short or too long.

If you don't appear
at all one day they think you're lazy
or dead. Just keep right on, I like it.

And don't worry about your lineage 
poetic or natural. The Sun shines on 
the jungle, you know, on the tundra 
the sea, the ghetto. Wherever you were 
I knew it and saw you moving. I was waiting 
for you to get to work.

 And now that you 
are making your own days, so to speak, 
even if no one reads you but me 
you won't be depressed. Not 
everyone can look up, even at me. It 
hurts their eyes."
 "Oh Sun, I'm so grateful to you!"

"Thanks and remember I'm watching. It's 
easier for me to speak to you out 
here. I don't have to slide down 
between buildings to get your ear. 
I know you love Manhattan, but 
you ought to look up more often.

And
always embrace things, people earth 
sky stars, as I do, freely and with 
the appropriate sense of space. That 
is your inclination, known in the heavens 
and you should follow it to hell, if 
necessary, which I doubt.

 Maybe we'll 
speak again in Africa, of which I too 
am specially fond. Go back to sleep now 
Frank, and I may leave a tiny poem 
in that brain of yours as my farewell."

"Sun, don't go!" I was awake
at last. "No, go I must, they're calling
me."
 "Who are they?"

 Rising he said "Some
day you'll know. They're calling to you
too." Darkly he rose, and then I slept.