[Rick Mullin]

And, technically, this is a poem in which the humor and irony work through accretion. Quite often a stand-up comic will tell a joke that is somehow offensive or just simply not funny. But by retelling it or piling on the same simple, true, and disturbing point, the teller strips the audience of whatever social or political prophylactic caused the averted eye. It become hilarious. This poem isn't a stand-up routine or a joke. Nor is it finally offensive. But it is very funny and disturbing and revealing when George reads it. The accretive effect works when reading it on the page/screen as well, I think. It unvarnishes through build-up.