Rondeaux

Le temps a laissé son manteau. . ..

—Charles d’Orleans

Rajon . . . turned in his best season . . . erratic as ever.

—the Guardian, 2012

Rondo’s tour . . . will continue in New Orleans. . ..

—Sports Illustrated, 2017

“Time” called; a faked-out-of-its-jock,short-winded, sweat-drenched man-to-man(“the Garden crowd erupting . . . ”) ranfor cover—high-tops freeze, limbs knock,

an orange blur, as per—à chaquefois—a playground-cool game plan,a little French Lick—faire le Jacques—swift, passing-fair legerdemain—

a poly—allez, hop! (tick-tock)—optic, au courant catch-as-catch-can,eludes the last wide-stretched wingspan,arrives, to rise above the mere debac-le—dunked-on, faked-out-of-its-jock.

Guiding the cutter toward the block—amused, precise (à la Rodin,or Gaudier?), l’artisanendures, delivers up the rock . . .

Half-baked, beside the Common flock,the quickening Charles, the die-hard fan-taisie concocts combines: Ainge, Doc,cagey, to stretch the Truth in clan-

destined rendezvous—langue d’octo Louisville—the courts, the coups, the van-ishing point one, roundabout, beganto make (“alight, O shade of Auerbach”)—the world is faked out of, ad hoc.