From the Verse Essays of Ivar Benløs: Thinner Than Groundwater

John Crowley might be in line
For one of Edward Abbey's
Sabots. I am reminded,
Reading the former's blog posts
Chastising the New York Times
For dangling modifiers
And expressing bafflement

At a reference to a shoe

In the works (then inviting
Readers of his blog to chime

In on the metaphor, thus
Yielding a long comment chain
Mocking etymologies
And quoting Star Trek at length)

That we no longer know much
And most of what we do know

Is bluff. Perhaps ever thus.
Long before Crowley adored
John Dee, Giordano Bruno,

Or Harold Bloom, Old Possum
And Ez faked esoteric

Knowledge of Chinese and Greek.
We grub around in culture
Like crabs who can decorate
Their shelled selves with enough
Weird camouflage to get by,

Although we try to attract,
Not distract, damned attention.