i remember walking by the duck pond

before i knew marketa   long before all of this   

children were feeding the ducks   lollers were

enjoying the sun   an aged gentleman was fishing for eels   

and catching them   a sunny spring day   it was may   

the kind of day   light-hearted   which brings

people out   i wouldn't have been surprised

to see the goat-footed ballon man   i did see

a woman sitting alone   sad about the eyes   

i couldn't know her mind   i don't pretend to   

but she seemed to be envious of everyone   

and no one in particular   could she have seen herself   

she might have thought   there's an attractive   

confident woman   envious of no one     

~

'the goat-footed ballon man'

e e cummings, in just