Gregory Corso - I am 25

I came across this poem in Ron Silliman's blog. I thought it was so fabulous, that I just had to share it. This same poet, as I heard from Silliman's blog, was once asked to teach a seminar on "what he knew" (implying poetry of course) and proceeded to give a seminar on how to steal and sell valium. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

With a love a madness for Shelley
Chatterton Rimbaud
and the needy-yap of my youth
has gone from ear to ear:
I HATE OLD POETMEN!
Especially old poetmen who retract
who consult other old poetmen
who speak their youth in whispers,
saying: – I did those then
but that was then
than was then –
O I would quiet old men
say to them: – I am your friend
what you once were, thru me
you’ll be again –
Then at night in the confidence of their homes
rip out their apology-tongues
and steal their poems.