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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
TO DUST RETURNING, by ANNA HEMPSTEAD BRANCH Poet's Biography First Line: Fool! Fool! Last Line: From dust created, unto dust returns. Subject(s): Dust | |||
SCENE : The palace garden, in the center of which stands a sun-dial. The KING, absorbed in meditation, watches the shadow move across the dial's face. The COURT FOOL, a fantastic figure, enters, with a superb air, holding in his band something which cannot be seen. He is pursued by pages, youths, and maidens of the court. CROWD Fool! Fool! A YOUTH He swears that in his hand he holds The bulwarks of the earth! A GIRL (to KING) Sire, is it true? A YOUTH His hand contains great empires! A PAGE Kingdoms! GIRL Crowns! A YOUTH (to JESTER) Prove it! give me a star !A GIRL (to KING) Oh Sire, he says That in his hand he holds a power and glory More great than yours! A YOUTH (to JESTER) Then grant to us our wishes! FOOL Wish! And I'll grant it! 1ST GIRL Please, some satin slippers! FOOL I have them here! 1ST GIRL painted with flying cherubs? FOOL With flying cherubs! Lined with sky blue satin YOUTH I want a kingdom! FOOL Kingdoms? I have plenty. 2D GIRL A scarlet bonnet! 3D GIRL I would like a lover. In splendid rich apparel! Have you got him? FOOL Bonnets and lovers jostle one another. BOY I want a war-horse white as milk, and stamping! 1ST CHILD Some wooden soldiers! 2D CHILD And a little trumpet A PAGE Glory I want! FOOL My hand is full of glory. OLD MAN I 'm blind! I want to die! FOOL I've death abundant. CROWD A dancing monkey! Jewels! Stars! FOOL (addressing the KING) And you? KING (pointing to the shadow on the dial) I want an answer to the creeping shadow That marks off time. FOOL (holding his hand high above his head) Look, then! I have the answer To everything that is. This small right hand Contains the sum of all desires -- the bourne For which life strives -- the solace unto death I have more power in this fragile hand Than kings may covet; all the heritage Of them that reign -- kingdoms and battles, powers, Banners and hosts of war, and crowns and thorns, Aye, and the kings that wear them -- KING Fool, explain this. FOOL Wonderful hand! It is so full of stars hardly hold them! It is splashed with scarlet Thunders and tumult -- these go streaming through it! A thousand battles rock and riot in it! Cities are in it -- I can hear them breathing -- Kingdoms and crowns, yes, nations have I here! And hearts! My child, those cherub painted slippers Are mad in it for dancing! A scarlet bonnet Flames among fallen cities! I hold the sum And substance of this world. Oh look! The glory! I see it trickling out between my fingers Easy to capture it! I reached my hand And scooped up splendor! CROWD Give! Oh, show it! Give us! FOOL Then take -- (Lets fall handful of dust) KING It's dust! FOOL What would you have? This world From dust created, unto dust returns. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest... |
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