Cute

[Alan Sondheim]

Cute

I lost an 'e'! Please help me find it! No, it isn't that 'e' and it isn't
that one (now quite a few words after the other and before this) either. I
don't know where it went! It wasn't alone, at least I don't think it was
alone. It was in the middle of a word! At the beginning! The ending! The
feminine ending (for perhaps it wasn't english at all - the word or the
piece it was in - if it was in a piece - I should say 'were' in a piece -
there's two more 'e's but it's not them, I'm sure of it)! Or some such -
how can one be sure of anything nowadays? In any case, I'm sure you'd
recognize it; you could tell perhaps by its indolent expression, suave
self-assuredness. Perhaps it's disguised, however, perhaps run away! It's
a sign of the times - you can't count on letters any more, at least not
belles lettres filled with 'e's - there's a kind of immigration here -
where did they come from? For that matter, where are they going? They know
something, they're not telling - that's about as far as I can take it!
It's definitely well-hidden (not there, with its two 'e's, nor hidden in
hidden, although something is?)! Be careful! Please help! Thank you!

Little 'e', come home to roam!
Little 'e', come home to Rome!


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