In Vain
The stars in the sky
In vain
The tragedy of Hamlet
In vain
The key in the lock
In vain
The sleeping mother
In vain
The lamp in the corner
In vain
The lamp in the corner unlit
In vain
Abraham Lincoln
In vain
The Aztec empire
In vain
The writing hand: in vain
(The shoetrees in the shoes
In vain
The windowshade string upon
the hand bible
In vain—
The glitter of the greenglass
ashtray
In vain
The bear in the woods
In vain
The Life of Buddha
In vain)
From Book of Sketches. Penguin Books, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc, 2006.
Jack Kerouac
Born in 1922, the poet and novelist Jack Kerouac is said to have coined the term "Beat Generation," describing the down-and-out status of himself and his peers during the post-war years.