NARCISSUS SESTINA
Having never read a word of Ovid,
he looked the abyss in its face, "O Void,"
he apostrophized, "who make null and void
all for which we are hopeful and avid,
with powerful verses I will avoid
defeat by you, decree you, Void, voided."
A voice replied from deep within the Void,
"All this claptrap might have been avoided
if only you had been sent to Havid
and taught there to read some words of Ovid
(never say Avid), the semi-ovoid
nosed poet you can't afford to avoid.
For he can show you how to be avid
to detect me in yourself, be devoid
of all that double-trouble that Ovid
learned the hard way, to self-adorn can void
one in the long run; so become voided,
egg you on to your right end ab ovoid."
"You're proposing an already voided
merge by me, of me with you, for Ovid's
words fully convince me that to avoid
trying to stand and balance an ovoid
on one end will wise me up, so avid's
as avid does to brush you off me, Void."
"You don't get it, and still tap an avoid-
dance around the truth of us," snapped the Void.
"And what's this you say about an ovoid?
That's more to add to the pile of voided
words in your pants. You haven't read Ovid
remotely. Your last chance for an avid
grasp of my place in you's to cry, 'O Void,
I look us in the face and am avid
to declare our quarrel has been voided,'
and fear to know yourself no more, avoid
not the chill of my breath in yours."—"Right, Void,"
he replied, "if my cure's still to read Ovid!"
Coda One
The poet, voided, avid to avoid
the ovoidal cold lord of his deep void,
and read a bit, not a lot of Ovid.
OR
Coda Two
So the poet's avid to read Ovid,
and chant, "O Void, our voice as one may void
what can be voided when not avoided."