Marshall Begel

T.S.

When Eliot achieved some fame
he wasn't sure his given name
would have the rigor to convey
his talent, as a sobriquet.

Perhaps he thought it beneficial
to autograph with first initial
but deemed it wise to add the "S"
for reasons, well, that few would guess.

"T Eliot" may seem perverse
for with its letters in reverse
potential readers might recoil — it
spells the word... well, I won't spoil it.

Marshall Begel, soon to retire from his engineering career, has always enjoyed playing with words.  Twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize and once for Best of the Net, his poems have appeared in Light, Lighten Up Online, The Road Not Taken and other journals that compile humorous formal verse with occasional bits of introspection.  He lives in Madison, Wisconsin.