To my son's friend Veronica

Life is sad without Veronica,
Daniel's mad at me, though stoical.
His attempts to love are heroical.
Her laughter was his harmonica.

There is no girl like Veronica-
No Kate, no Jane, no Monica,
In a northern town or tropical,
In the Hague or in Solonica.

I will look for dear Veronica
With my glasses and with my monocle.
I will shout like a symphonica:
"Please come back, or your love is a chronicle!"

I will find in the West Veronica,
I will do my best to be comical,
I will bring her east like tonica
To my son in his gloom historical.

December 2011, New York