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

about.

If it is permitted.’ Moses said:

‘It is certainly permitted. You are, are you not,

The daughters of, the daughters of – Forgive me,

An old man’s memory, or lack of it.’

The woman said: ‘I am Mahlah. These are my sisters:

Hoglah, Noah, Milcah, Tirzah – daughters of

Zelophehad, now dead.’ – ‘Ah yes’, said Moses.

‘Slain in battle, was he not?’ – ‘Slain.

With his sons, our brothers. Thanks to your holy wars

We are without menfolk. Though how a war can be holy – ’

Eleazar said: ‘Have a care, woman,’ but she:

‘Killing, killing, killing. Will your God

Strike me down because I cry against killing?

Well, let him. He is made in the likeness of a man.’

Gently Moses said: ‘God is a spirit.

His voice has come to me in many forms,

Because a spirit lacks a voice of its own.

The voice has sometimes been the voice of Miriam,

My own sister.’ Mahlah said: ‘Be that as it may,

Your God seems fond of killing. A woman brings forth

With pain, high priest, that few men could truly bear –

Only that her sons may be killed in some holy war.

But that is not directly to my purpose.’ –

‘What’, said Moses gently, ‘is your purpose?’

Mahlah said: ‘We are women without menfolk.

The name of our father has disappeared from your record.

What will happen to his portion of the promised land?’

Eleazar said: ‘Woman, it is clearly laid down

That the sons alone shall inherit. If there are no sons,

There is no inheritance.’ But Mahlah cried:

‘Injustice, man’s injustice.’ And Eleazar:

‘It is the law.’ – ‘That is always the answer:

It is the law. And how if the law be unjust?’

Eleazar said: ‘You merit the Lord’s malediction.

One does not question the law.’ But she, in anger:

‘High priest, I am questioning it.’ And Moses:

‘Daughter, you are right to question it.

Peace, Eleazar. And my response is this:

If a man die and leave no son, then the father’s

Inheritance shall pass to the daughters.’ Eleazar

Seemed ready to burn. ‘Heresy?’ Moses said.

‘An abomination? The Lord, as you see, high priest,

Has not yet offered to strike me dead. Nor will he.

Daughters of Israel, you have your inheritance.’

But still in the future, always it seemed, in the future.

Across the plain, soon, advancing armies,

And Joshua said: ‘They are coming for revenge.

Or shall we call it a pretext? You, priest,

Are certainly in the fight’, addressing Phinehas

Who, stripped of his sacerdotal robes,

Arrayed as a somewhat puny warrior,

Sweated as he heard drums. Moses said:

‘Is this the last battle, Joshua?

For all the kings of Midian will join Balak

Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba.’ –

‘The last fight’, Joshua said, ‘this side of Jordan.

How do the words go? Speak the words again.’ –

‘The false gods crushed under the feet of Israel.

And you shall take the spoils of all their cattle

And all their flocks, yea, and all their goods,

And burn all the cities wherein they dwell

A holy war, but we have not provoked it.’

Joshua said: ‘You are tired. Stay in your tent.

I will send word.’ And Moses: ‘You will prevail.

The blessing of God go with you, Joshua.’

So banners, trumpets and drums proclaimed to the sky

The going forth of the Israelites to war –

While Moses prayed: ‘Let there be an end to war –

An end, O Lord’, but little hope in his words.

18

JORDAN

Moses half-slept in his lonely tent – Ghershom,

His son, gone with the army, Zipporah, his wife,

Dust; himself soon to be dust. He heard

His own voice, or the voice of the Lord, or of Israel:

And you have taken the spoils of all their cattle

And all their sheep, yea, and all their goods,

And burnt all the cities wherein they dwelt,

And all their goodly castles with fire and

All their goodly castles with fire and all their

Goodly castles with fire and he saw a

Castle innumerable cubits high falling

In flames and heard the screams of men falling,

Women and children. He came sharply awake

To sense a presence not a dreaming presence

And said: ‘Is it you, Lord?’ And the presence said:

‘All is fulfilled. The slain lie like leaves

In the fall tempests. Over those fallen leaves

You may fare forward. But first the sheep need

A new shepherd. Take Joshua, son of Nun,

A man in whom the spirit burns like a fire,

And lay your hands upon him.’ So Joshua, from the wars,

Scarred and ready for wine and a handmaiden,

Was told these words and at once was hushed and solemn.

Before the tabernacle Moses laid his hand

On the warrior’s head, saying: ‘You are not exalted

To any priesthood. You need no robes, no chrism.

You are become that humblest of beings – a leader

Accountable to the people and to the Lord,

With duties and no rights.’ He raised his arms

Before the assembled nation, bidding them

Acclaim their new shepherd, hearing however

Beneath the acclamation the growls of the restive,

As was to be expected. He smiled with relief

At being allowed the guerdon of fatigue,

Old age at last. Under a star-filled heaven

Their caravan moved in silence, under the sun,

Moses at rest in an ox-cart, Joshua ahead,

Until one day Joshua came and pointed

Ahead at a certain mountain. Pisgah? Pisgah.

So in the plain they set up the tabernacle,

Pitched their tents, the people in good heart,

The young singing and dancing about the fires,

Moses fulfilling his last duties. He said,

To the tribal leaders round a fire, plain words

About the necessity and beauty of the law

Or laws: ‘Too many laws, some will say –

A huge web woven of many webs – but remember

This, this: that the law is our city,

Complex, cunningly woven – many streets,

Buildings, rooms – yet a city we may carry

About with us, wherever we go. Remember

This: we are the chosen, and this means

Many enemies among the unchosen. Enemies.

They will slay us and pursue us. The unchosen.

And we may never finally be at rest.

But wherever we go we will carry our city with us.

The law. Break one single stone of the law,

However small, and a part of the city falls.

Soon the temples and palaces and dwellings

Will crash about our ears. And we shall be lost.

Keep the law. Teach the law. Teach it.’

Phinehas, a subdued man, lacking an arm,

Stiff with scars, taught the children, asking:

‘What are we allowed to eat?’The ox

The sheep the