(Prospero to Ariel)
. . .
Sing first that green remote Cockaigne
Where whiskey-rivers run,
And every gorgeous number may
Be laid by anyone;
For medicine and rhetoric
Lie mouldering on shelves,
While sad young dogs and stomach-aches
Love no one but themselves.
Tell then of witty angels who
Come only to the beasts
Of Heirs Apparent who prefer
Low dives to formal feasts;
For shameless Insecurity
Prays for a boot to lick,
And many a sore bottom finds
A sorer one to kick.
Wind up, though, on a moral note:--
That Glory will go bang,
Schoolchildren shall cooperate,
And honest rogues must hang;
Because our sound committee man
Has murder in his heart:
But should you catch a living eye,
Just wink as you depart.
. . .
**
The Supporting Cast, Sotto Voce
(Antonio)
. . .
Antonio, sweet brother, has to laugh.
How easy you have made it to refuse
Peace to your greatness! Break your wand in half,
The fragments will join; burn your books or lose
Them in the sea, they will soon reappear,
Not even damaged: as long as I choose
To wear my fashion, whatever you wear
Is a magic robe; while I stand outside
Your circle, the will to charm is still there.
. . .
(Auden, from The Sea and the Mirror, 1944)
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