Tenuous And Precarious

Portrait of Stevie Smith
Stevie Smith 1902–1971

Tenuous and Precarious Were my guardians, Precarious and Tenuous, Two Romans.

My father was Hazardous, Hazardous Dear old man, Three Romans.

There was my brother Spurious, Spurious Posthumous, Spurious was Spurious, Was four Romans.

My husband was Perfidious, He was Perfidious Five Romans. Surreptitious, our son, Was Surreptitious, He was six Romans.

Our cat Tedious Still lives, Count not Tedious Yet.

My name is Finis, Finis, Finis, I am Finis, Six, five, four, three, two, One Roman, Finis.

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