William Carlos Williams. The Young Laundryman. Harriet Monroe, ed. Poetry: A Magazine of Verse. 1912-22

Harriet Monroe, ed. (1860–1936). Poetry: A Magazine of Verse. 1912–22.

The Young Laundryman

By William Carlos Williams


From “Broken Windows” LADIES, I crave your indulgence for
My friend Wu Kee; young, agile, clear-eyed
And clean-limbed, his muscles ripple
Under the thin blue shirt; and his naked feet, in
Their straw sandals, lift at the heel, shift and	5
Find new postures continually.

Your husband’s shirts to wash, please, for Wu Kee.