| Augustin S. Macdonald, comp. A Collection of Verse by California Poets. 1914. | | | | To My Ink-Well | | By Lionel Josaphare |
| | | THOU blotty bottle, bottle stained and grim, | |
| Thou imp, thou gnome, a moody friend art thou. | |
| And yet thyself I would not trade, I vow, | |
| For golden ink-decanter with a rim | |
| Of pearls and decorations wreathed and slim. | 5 |
| Now tell me, ugly boy with inky brow, | |
| Of some unwritten thoughts, which you allow | |
| To dream awhile within your tranquil brim. | |
| How many black imaginings are there | |
| Waiting to crawl out for my livelihood? | 10 |
| Phantasmas, whims, a poet’s morbid ware, | |
| Capricious thoughts, perhaps misunderstood?— | |
| All liquid yet and blended in their well; | |
| Some will be born; how many, who can tell? | | | | |
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