The Poetry of Robert B. Hay

Here is a poem by the inestimable literary titan, Robert B. Hay. He recited it to me more than twenty years ago, yet I still know it by heart. There’s a reference to bussing (court-ordered integration of schools) which might be puzzling to younger readers. As far as I can recollect, it doesn’t have a title:

I have my General Motors, and occasional IBM,
But I’d be non-plussed if my kids were bussed
Along with the rest of them.

We worked like clocks to mortgage this box.
Our marriage is all made of leather.
My wife has her sharks, which glow in the dark.
Her bras and my shoes go together.

My name is Boo Hoo. I’m a liberal, too,
And you know the bourgeois is my game.
To see the flag fly brings a tear to my eye.
If you should ask why, you’ll be lame.