A Vision, Caged

WILLIAM DICKEY

WILLIAM DICKEY

A VISION, CAGED

Over the city beneficent drugs conspire

To give the murderous one more night at large.

Their absolute senses tremble at the verge,

See the just crime, the unavoidable fire

Burning the mother of two. From ward to ward

The blanket of sedation settles in

Like generous strangling hands. Pick any card-

Once again now the action will begin.

Punch will love Judy till he breaks her skull,

Mother hit Father with the parlor chair;

Their cup of interest completely full,

All of the watching children will be there.

Night falls. The exhibitionist displays

To his tight brain the gestures that release;

Grey in the midst of the encompassing greys,

The alcoholic stumbles into peace.

Nurses like ships' sails borne on the full breeze

Loom momentarily up and disappear.

Where disappears. All of these minds, at ease,

Congratulatory, concentrate on here,

The moment of the crime, the moment when

Suddenly a buried life broke out to flower.

The bloody children are a might-have-been

Compared to the importance of that hour,

Compared to the feeling that at least it's done-

Thank God the impetus to it can run down

And say, "Dear child, good-night," and then the one

Need is to find a corner of your own-

The corner grows enormous in their sight,

The lovely hypodermic brims and spills

Straight to the heart. Heart's engines fill the night,

Ever and again it swells, it hates, it kills.