His father committed suicide a
Few months before he was born;

His mother and stepfather were
Convicted of fraud and when he

Was fourteen he left home. Some-
How, he managed to graduate

Summa cum laude from Harvard
Only to be told when he sought

A teaching position that Anglo-
Saxons wouldn’t like being

Taught by a Jew. He wrote and
Wrote and wrote, poem after poem

After poem receiving award after
Award after award. He had a mag-

Nificent garden. He lived to a hun-
Dred. Maybe it was the garden.