Cony Island, NY, after dark, 190-

Tonight,
My Dark Star
Gave me the
Most wonderful
Gift.
He gave me the
Moon
On a string.
"'Ere you go pet,"
He said as he
Tied the string
That the moon was on
To his
Black Opal's wrist,
"'Tis the
Moon on a string.
Don't let anybody
Tell you
I never gave you
Anything."
What a splendid
Gift,
Now the moon
Follows Drusilla
Everywhere!
Miss Edith
Approved.
She said,
"What a fine thing,
To have the moon
For a lap dog."
Then we four
Strolled
The boardwalk.
Nobody else
In the world
Has such a
Grand toy;
The moon on
A string, bobbing
And dancing behind
Drusilla as she
Moves through
The crowd
Like a dark
Breeze
With her
Boy doll,
And Miss Edith
To keep her
Company
Among the
False moons.
Soon Drusilla
Said, "Wouldn't
It be wonderful
To eat the moon?"
Our Dark Star
Replied, "No pet.
The moon's made
Of cheese.
Anyway,
You don't like
Cheese.
Remember?
Cheese makes
Your tummy
All nasty and
Sour.
It likes
Little children
Much better."
Miss Edith was
Quiet.
The moon was
Quiet.
Drusilla's
Tummy wasn't.
It grumbled
And roared,
So her Dark Star
Got her
A nice fat
Policeman, full
Of pastries.
The pale moon
On its string,
Watched, smiling
With its white face.
Drusilla is still
Hungry.
So she said
To her Dark Star,
"I don't remember
Eating cheese.
How do I know
If I don't like
Cheese if I don't
Remember
Ever eating
Cheese?"
Our boy doll
Lit a cigar
And blew smoke
Rings.
"Trust me pet,
You don't like
Cheese."
Well, Drusilla
Doesn't know
If she likes cheese
Or not.
There's the moon
On a string
Right here.
All made of cheese.
Right here.
Within easy reach.
Right here.
So to find out
If she likes
Cheese or not,
Drusilla pulled
The string and the
Moon came to her,
All round and floaty–
Exquisite cheese!
Drusilla takes the
Delicious moon
Into her two hands.
Miss Edith says,
"I am glad that I
Am blindfolded.
This will come
To no good."
Silly Miss Edith!
I won't share the
Delicious moon
With her even should
She beg.
Our Dark Star said,
"Don't even think
About it, pet."
Drusilla opened
Her mouth wide.
Our Dark Star said,
"I'm warning you pet."
Drusilla opened wider
To make more room
For the beautiful moon,
The beautiful moon
Made of cheese.
Our Dark Star said,
"I wash my hands of it."
Drusilla's pretty fangs
Sank into the moon and
BANG!
What happened?
Where did the moon go?
Where is all the lovely
Nice cheese?
All that left is
An empty string on
Drusilla's wrist.
Where did it go?
Where?
Drusilla sat down,
On the boardwalk
Hugging Miss Edith
Who said,
"I told you so!"
Our boy doll laughed.
He laughed
So hard that
He went
Down on his knees.
And laughed some
More.
His Ebon Pearl
Began to cry
Because
The moon ran away
And Drusilla still doesn't
Know if she likes
Cheese or not.
Our Dark Star
Took us,
Miss Edith and
All, into his arms
And rocked us
On the sidewalk,
While the tasty
People walked
Around us.
He whispered in
Our ear,
Telling us,
"There, there pet,
Did the noise scare you?
I shouldn't have laughed.
I'll get you another
Sometime."
Really? You will?
For truly?
You'll get me
The moon to keep
On a string?
Then the moon
Came back,
Up over the rooftops
High above
the Ferris wheel:
Far, far away.
It was no longer
Angry, but it
Was too far away
To catch.
So, one of these
Nights, Drusilla's
Dark Star, her
Boy doll,
Promises to climb
A tall ladder
And catch the
Moon once more
For his Drusilla,
And tie it up with
String so that
She may pull
It along behind
Her like a lap dog.
And Drusilla?
Drusilla will take
Smaller bites
So that it doesn't
Go BANG
And run away
Again.