-Charles Ives in Fall River-

when Charles Ives stopped by
early this morning

we talked over coffee and oven-
warmed cranberry muffins.

I asked him about that hint
of Beethoven's 5th

three quarters through his piano study No. 9

and with dabs of cranberry dotting his whiskers,

Charles Ives snickered, asking:
“why? didn’t you like it”?

Sure, I said. Sure I liked it.
I then asked him why he left the door open

which seemed to annoy him and he walked out
leaving a half-eaten muffin on the table and
again, leaving the door open behind him.