Happy Birthday Lily Brown! History of Poetry

For Lily's 28th birthday, I unveil to the public, "The History of Poetry." Return in 2010 for Section One. That's all we have, so we should probably write some more.

THE HISTORY OF POETRY

Preamble

I need to tell you things. I wish I could sleep. I have a blank wall in my room.
This is the history of all poetry—it begins with one blank wall and continues.
Until three walls are blank. Until there is a bank of walls.
And the walls are the minds blank, filled up, in banks.
On display sort of but only as excerpts of the walls, a light fixture
from the John Donne room, Wallace Stevens window, George Herbert dustpan.