1The acid tongue with gourmet’s expertise
2licks round carved marble chops on snails full-blown
3forms shadowy with indecision wheeze
4one gathers rosebuds or grows old alone

5Old Galileo’s Pisan offerings
6that metred rhyme alone can souls enslave
7proud death quite il-le-gi-ti-mate-ly stings
8to break a rule Britannia’s might might waive

9It’s no good rich men crying Heaven Bless
10with quill white-collared through his life will jog
11while homeward thirsts to each quenched glass say yes

12With breaking voice across the Alps they slog
13poor reader smile before your lips go numb
14the best of all things to an end must come