lyric poetry

while i stood listening, discreetly dumb
a poet, having taken the bridle off his tongue
i said
to some the fat gods
have you heard
i make my shroud, but no one knows
she must go back, she said
out of the sparkling sea
i have heard that a certain princess
within this lowly grave a conqueror lies
i have had one fear in my life
when i was a boy at college
how like the stars are these white, nameless faces