I WOULD LIKE TO

for Charlie, who wrote the first line

I would like to play pinball with the New York School

and send the Martians up to Mars,

would like to pretend The Movement did not exist

and punch Philip Larkin on the nose.

I would like to perform with The Liverpool Poets

and ignore Ted Hughes’ late poems,

would like to kiss Anne Sexton

if she’d only forget about Plath.

I would like to object to the Objectivists

and soften the edges of Concrete poems,

would like to dream about Surrealism

and Dada the fish in the sky.

I would like to denounce New Formalism

and survive the New Apocalyptics,

would like to restructure Oulipo

and understand L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poems,

I would like to be linguistically innovative

but don’t know what to say,

would like to be a part of something

even somebody else’s renaissance or revival.

I would like to find my own Black Mountain,

start a poetry school with my friends,

I would like to start a revolution

but to be honest I am Beat.

By Rupert Loydell