Joyce
The gentleman opposite rose to leave.
Doors slid open.
He glanced my way.
His look was puzzled but inquiring,
One eyebrow cocked
In a curious question mark that said
“Reading Joyce on the subway?”
I looked up from the page
And told him I was reading it again
After many years.
He seemed impressed.
But that was not my intent.
Ulysses is difficult at the best of times
And I was struggling
Faring little better than I did
The first time.
Following Leopold, Molly and Stephen
Through their Dublin ambles
Requires an open mindedness
That age tends to close.
It is best to approach Joyce,
When you are young,
Or when you are very old.
The young have the resilience
To wrap their minds around
Joyce’s literary gymnastics.
The elderly have the experience
To deal with them.
I drifted into Joyce early.
I read then, but could not appreciate.
Now is the time to approach him
Once again.