Collected Poems Anthony Burgess (best pdf reader for ebooks txt) 📖

others after Aaron, timidly at first

But then with confidence growing – men, women,

Children, sheep, cattle, ox-carts, the young

Strong, fearless, astounded at something in the heavens,

Unseen of the others, pointing, then hurried on,

The waters seething on either side of them,

But the channel near-dry and safe.

                    At the water’s edge

The cavalrymen of Egypt stood hesitant, seeing

Moses and Aaron on the further shore, helping,

Bidding hurry, the eyes of Moses on the army

About which a dust-storm whirled and howled, seeing

One pair of eyes for the last time. And there were the eyes

Of Pharaoh, seeing trickery, not more, evil magic,

Pharaoh calling: ‘Why the hesitation? Why the delay?

The way is open. Go for them.’ So the charioteers

Went hurtling into the channel, seeking the further bank.

Some of the old and feeble were slow in reaching.

(A donkey grew stubborn, a cart-wheel broke). But the wheels

Of the chariots did not break, rather mud and reeds

Clogged them. Then the wind changed.

The wind changed and the water tumbled in,

And Pharaoh did not think now of mere magic,

Seeking men swimming but trapped in mud and reeds,

The horses struggling, the chariots overturned,

Dumb cries in the tumult of water. The eyes of Pharaoh

And the eyes of Moses sought each other, but in vain…

So the crossing was accomplished. The Israelite camp

Was joyous that night with fires and wine,

The flute, the harp, the drum, and Miriam

Led the maidens in song and dance, singing:

The Lord is our captain,

His helmet the sun, the moon his shield.

The night sky is pierced by his arrows.

Halleluiah.

The hands of the Lord were with us.

They pushed the water aside and aside

Like the hands of the farmer dividing grain.

Halleluiah.

The horse and his rider were cast into the waters.

The Lord is just, quick to smite the tyrant,

Quick to heal the oppressed, comfort the afflicted.

He dips his sword in honey, in balm his spear.

Halleluiah.

We have seen the wonders of the Lord – in fire, hail,

Plague, famine, in the parting of the waters.

He leads us to a green abode, bursting like a pod with richness.

Praised for his name for ever and ever.

Halleluiah halleluiah.

But there some who listened to the tale of a child,

The child repeating and repeating to the questioners:

‘It was heaven, I say. I saw it. God was there.’

How do you know? Who has ever seen God?

‘It was God, I say. A beast with a man’s face.

And he was all made out of gold.’ What kind of beast?

‘Like that one there with a cow, his mother.’

‘It’s the children that see heaven’, said someone drunk,

‘That’s well-known. That’s written down in books.’ –

‘I saw it, I tell you,’ said the child, ‘crossing the water.’

Eat up your cake and go to bed. ‘I saw it.’

Moses grave amid the revelling, spoke to the elders:

‘You must make it clear to the tribes. That the worse is to come.

It is good to rejoice now. If we are truly rejoicing

In the Lord. His goodness. His omnipotence.’

And he looked with stern sadness on a

Passionate embrace in the shadows, the lurching

Of three men full of wine. ‘Tomorrow,’ he said,

‘Will be a hard day. Especially for some.’ An elder spoke:

‘The worst is to come, you say. It would be, surely,

Unwise to speak to the people of that. Is it not enough

To live for the day, hoping that the next day

Will bring sight of the land we are promised?

The day’s march is enough, the repose at nightfall.’ –

‘No,’ said Moses. ‘We enter on our inheritance

In the knowledge that freedom is a bitter gift.

It will bring many days of hardship. Shortage of

Water and of food. Sickness. Death. Cursing and grumbling.

Your task is to teach. The agonies of freedom.’

Another elder said: ‘It is hard for a man to keep

Authority with such a slogan.’ But Moses, with energy,

With bitterness: ‘Must we build on false promises?

It is dangerous to think in terms of the day.

If we eat and drink what the day sends

We shall have nothing for the morrow. The day is for

Slaves. Slaves. There is a bigger time for men

Who are free. Let us begin by thinking of the

Week. The week.’ And with his staff he traced

Seven strokes in the earth. ‘The Lord took six days

To make the heavens and the earth. On the seventh day

He rested. We shall follow the Lord. The seventh day

Shall be called the Sabbath. On that day we shall rest.

Think of the Lord. Drink in the new strength from the Lord.

And this this this shall be the law.’ A law? ‘And those who

Break the law must be punished.’ A third elder said:

‘Punished? How punished?’ Moses smiled a little,

Saying: ‘I will start to think of punishments later.

It is for the present enough to think of the

Lord’s displeasure. There will come a day

When that will seem punishment enough. Punishment enough.’

Dathan came with his friends to the assembly, drunk,

A bowl of palm-wine in his hands, saying, slurring:

‘Moses, we have come to express our

Complete confidence in your leadership.’ Moses said:

‘You will always have confidence, Dathan, when these things go well.’ –

‘No, no,’ said Dathan. ‘Well or ill, we

Acknowledge you as our undoubted leader.’ And Moses,

Sternly: ‘I am not your leader, Dathan. The Lord God –

He is your leader. I am but his instrument.

Never forget the Lord.’ But Dathan said, tottering:

‘Oh, this is a night for rejoicing, not for

Thinking about the Lord. We ask you, Moses,

In token of our amity and awareness of our confidence,

To drink wine with us.’ To which Moses replied:

‘I have but a weak head, Dathan. But I am

Sincerely grateful for your confidence.’

Then, with a drum-thud, a flute-skirl, and a

Sweep of the harp-string, the evening came to an end.

You must make it clear to the tribe that the

Worst is to come. The worst. Starting tomorrow.

8

MIRACLES OF THE DESERT

Sand-caked, sweat-blind, inexpressibly weary,

Through the scorching wilderness, Aaron panted:

‘Do you know where we are?’ And Moses, squinting about him,

Not showing weariness, upright, said: ‘The tribes

Called it the wilderness of Shur. We cross this wilderness

To reach Elim, Elim.’ And Aaron said: ‘What

Is at Elim?’ – ‘Palms. Tamarinds. Water. It will be a

Hard climb.’ And Aaron: ‘Can they make the hard climb?

They need water in order to reach that water.’

‘They drink too