What Ceremony Else?

He said simply they’d always be with us,
Astounding one with such nerve, cold foresight
-All generated in jig-time-no fuss,
He had sized our worlds up, had them down pat,
Left no fly in the ointment to discuss;
Those who’d have given him his coat and hat

”And the high road to Ethiopia,
Nicaragua, any other planet-
Were quite pished on, made easy joke of
At that very fantastical banquet;

Now there are those but remembering the feet,
The unguents, recalling tears, silken hair,
The rub of ceremony-not the meet
And proper handling of an old despair.