The Underhanded Art

the underhanded art, he said, historians had...

under the tyranny of work the gentle tyranny of love
i've given way
in this house i am afraid of everything
yes, why hold back
the publisher is eager
thousands of jews will be offended a few will not
most must read it
some will even buy it
there will be talk
surely it will have to dress itself in french and german
come out in england
it will interest the japanese though the russians won't touch it
it will harrow hearts and even
fascinate philosophers who have none
and the politicians caught in the complicities of power
my fellow historians
staring down those fissures I have opened at their feet
poets parsons fellow pundits every sort of literary personage
yes
tap dancers comics exhibitionists
for them a drama on a scale before undreamed of
a style which murder made and murderers recite
why wait
don't hold back

--re-paginated Gass, The Tunnel