On reading John Updike

(Published by N.Y. Times Jan. 6, 2008)

There aren't too many others like
our John, the writer, Up, yes, dike.
His mind, like his golf, is well above par,
and his work is, well, it's wunderbar.

But how I wish, to my chagrin,
that he could, just for once, begin
a sentence and, without a bend,
continue straight until the end.

When I read his books I find
it's like a Christmas of the mind,
and he is Santa, bringing pauses,
father of dependent clauses.

J. Mudcat Miller