Collected Poems by Anthony Burgess (best e ink reader for manga txt) 📕

need their wells and pasturelands.’ Joshua said:

‘But we must push on. Time is short.’ Then Moses:

‘You were never a discreet man, Joshua. My time

Is certainly short, but do not remind me of it.

I shall see the Jordan before I die – fear not.’

Joshua said: ‘I did not mean that. I meant

That the patience of our people can hardly be

Tried much longer. They are sick of wandering.’ –

‘Oh, the young are patient enough. As for the old –

Well, there are few of us left. Aaron gone,

His poor wife Eliseba. And, soon, very soon – ’

He sighed. ‘None is exempt, Joshua. The earth

Is hungry for us all. But that is what I meant

When I said we must stay here a little while.

I do not think she can very well be – moved.’

Wasted with fever, Zipporah cried: ‘Tomorrow.

We shall see him tomorrow, then?’ And Ghersom:

‘Who, mother?’ – ‘My Father, of course. And my sisters.

Those that are left. But not those wicked men

Who keep beating us away from the well. He took his stick to them.

He ran down the hill and trounced them and they ran off howling.

He was very strong in those days.’ And Ghersom said:

‘Is still. Is still very strong.’ (Very strong

In the synod, explaining the law at that very moment:

‘The line must be drawn wide, very wide. It is the margin

That is the essence of the law. Thus we condemn

The eating of the flesh of swine, and why?

It is not enough to say that it is unclean.

If you eat the flesh raw you will, as we know,

Contract disease: you belly will writhe with serpents.

If you eat it well-roasted you will be safe,

Since great heat kills the eggs of the serpents within

The body of the beast. Now who is to draw the line

Between well-roasted and ill-roasted? Who, indeed,

Is to draw the line between the roast and the raw?

It is safer to draw the margin too far out

And condemn the eating of swine’s flesh altogether.

And so with marriage – always the safe margin.

Marry your brother’s daughter; soon enough

Others will marry their mother’s sisters, even

Their sisters, even their mothers. Draw the line

Far out, always far out, remember that.’)

And Zipporah rambled more. ‘It will be pleasant

To sit by the well and talk. And sing. And play

Games with the ball as we used to. Waiting still

For the strong man from the strange land over the mountains

To come and fight the bad men by the well.

He will come with sunrise. Is it sunrise yet?’

Not waiting for an answer. ‘Sunrise. There is a

God in the sun, did you know that? And a god in the moon.

But the god of the sun is made out of fire. He has a

Beard of fire. And he eats fire.’ Then she cried out:

‘Why do you give me fire to eat? Why do you

Keep pouring fire down my throat? Cold water –

From my father’s well. Give me that, give it to me.’

Moses stood, sad, resigned: a matter of waiting.

He went out into the sunrise. Joshua said:

‘The patrols are leaving now. It would be good

If you could give them a word of encouragement.’ –

‘I cannot give her water from her father’s well’,

Sighed Moses, ‘but I can always give encouragement.’

The patrols were assembling now. Moses saw

A young man he though he knew, one tall and clean

And upright. ‘Zimri’ he said. ‘Zimri, is it not?’

The young man held himself stiff, answering: ‘Sir.

The son of Salu. Of the tribe of Simeon.’ –

‘I knew your father,’ Moses said. ‘He was brave.

I trust his son takes after him.’ Sir. And then,

Raising his voice in the sunrise, Moses spoke

To the entire parade: ‘What you have to do

Is to find out what chance we have of passing

Through Moabite territory in safety. You may find

That the people are friendly. Do not be afraid

Of admitting you are Israelites. Watch out

Less for fights than for snares. The king or his princes

May arrange a feast and soak you in Moabite wine.

Then, while you are snoring, your throats may be quietly cut.

See what amenities are available: wells, pasture.

Avoid their women. This is a pagan people.

They worship a false god. Do not be drawn in.

They practise all manner of abominations.

Do not be corrupted. Go, with my blessing.’

Zimri, presenting the shiny face of one

Who is incorruptible, said, firmly: ‘Sir.’

And so they passed, in their several patrols, to Moab –

Gentle pasture, gentle people, pagan though,

Hence corruptive. Igal and Shaphat entered

A pleasant town, seeing a market-place

Where fruit and roots and sheep and goats were chaffered for,

Seeing a troupe of acrobats perform,

Seeing women, veiled but giggling,

Wagging provocative haunches. At an upper window

A lady sat in indolent enjoyment

Of the admiration of the street, fanned by a girl.

They sought and found a town office and, to a clerk,

In their own speech, slowly, said what their mission was.

The were understood and led to an inner room

Where an elegant officer sat but rose when they entered,

Offering cushions to sit upon, offering wine.

But they refused the wine, said who they were

And what they wished. ‘Yes. I understand you.’ –

‘We naturally undertake to respect all property

As well as human life. We will certainly pay

For damage inadvertently done.’ And the officer:

‘How will you pay?’ – ‘In sheep. In cattle.’ –

‘I see’, he said. ‘Not in slaves? Or women?’

Igal said: ‘We do not sell our women.

And we do not keep slaves.’ Shaphat added to that:

‘We have ourselves been enslaved – to the Egyptians.

Or so they tell us – it is rather a long time ago.’

The officer said: ‘The story of your people

Has travelled even to our cities. So. Now I see

Real live Israelites in the flesh. Not very much flesh,

If I may say so.’ Igal said: ‘We are a lean folk.

That comes, I would say, of not living in cities.’

And Shaphat: ‘A chosen people has to be

A lean people.’ The officer smiled. ‘But has also

To beg occasionally of the unchosen – and the fat.’ –

‘Oh, we do not beg, sir’, said Igal. ‘We merely request.’

The officer said: ‘With an army behind you? I do not

Think we can very well refuse your request.

We like to think of ourselves as hospitable.’