not waving but drowning
nobody heard him, the dead man,
but still he lay moaning:
i was much further out than you thought
and not waving but drowning.
poor chap, he always loved larking
and now he’s dead
it must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,
they said.
oh, no no no, it was too cold always
(still the dead one lay moaning)
i was much too far out all my life
and not waving but drowning.
...........................................................
scorpion
'This night shall thy soul be required of thee'
My Soul is never required of me
It always has to be somebody else of course
Will my soul be required of me tonight perhaps?
(I often wonder what it will be like
To have one's soul required of one
But all I can think of is the Out-Patients' Department -
'Are you Mrs. Briggs, dear?'
No, I am Scorpion.)
I should like my soul to be required of me, so as
To waft over grass till it comes to the blue sea
I am very fond of grass, I always have been, but there must
Be no cow, person or house to be seen.
Sea and grass must be quite empty
Other souls can find somewhere else.
O Lord God please come
And require the soul of thy Scorpion
Scorpion so wishes to be gone.
