Page 200

By Jack Joseph Smith

Nancy Anrr Exquisite as the surface, the sea, the slanted heaven,, and the never slanted hell Seductive, all the wind had no one but me, in that wild way, when, back to back; defending the yearning life we knew so well No matter of the rivers we crossed, we never asked them to forgive us I! did not take time and she did not: either to tell the truth, that is the way it is when stars are in your mind instead of in the sky, just because I don't play the saxophone,. dosen't meam that I am afraid in sandle shies

Original Scan

AI Interpretation

GPT

This fuller "Nancy Ann" poem enlarges the lovers' back-to-back alliance into a grand, lawless fidelity measured against rivers, stars, and the refusal to soften themselves with confession.

Sea, heaven, hell, and wind give the page a mythic scale, but the emotional core remains the same shared defense of a life they knew together. Their refusal to ask forgiveness and their failure to tell the truth are not treated as shameful corrections; they are part of the fierce condition of the bond. The final saxophone and sandal line keeps the poem loose and dangerous, undercutting delicacy with swagger.

Claude

Nancy Ann (final pass): exquisite as the surface, the sea, slanted heaven and never slanted hell. Stars in your mind instead of in the sky. Just because I don't play the saxophone doesn't mean I am afraid in sandle shies.