IMPROVISATION#294
JAMES MERRILL'S ERA
(1926-1995)

An allegorical diva
needing no introduction
or snap judgment
cautious of any cut-out line
out of context
mimicking the local scene
for your next serious collection
when you took a nap
on someone else's lap
at the party
woke up with a curious friend
in the sleepless sun
imagining under shooting stars
a dishy scene uprooting
an imposing phenomena
from Boston's Back bay
the closing of the bar at Chaps.