Sunday, September 8, 2019

Sonnet Letter To Mr. Tom Lehrer





To Mr. Tom Lehrer, A Letter In The Form Of A Sonnet
Or,  Repayment In Kind, Hopefully As Good As It Is Sincere

Re: An Important Message For Mr. Tom Lehrer. Dear Mr. Lehrer,  
I’ve meant to tell you something since forever —& realized I’d better plan — .
Lest my intentions be mistaken by some demon for mere asphalt. So you have this letter - 
I’ve gotten old enough to know I’d better try to reach you now while I still can.

For the subject, alas, of your effect (e.g., on me), its breadth, its heighth, its rise & run,
I’ve information & belief — non solus comments now, & here, sed etiam then, & there
(Darkly biting, acerbic, jaded, starkly mocking, pessimistic, or uninterested to a one) — 
That you calibrate a fondness always less than what you could (or couldn’t) care.

To be successful in the telling, to such a cynic as yourself, about a topic you eschew
— i.e. your Work, whose defense of Fundamental Virtue delights all those it teaches, still— 
Is difficult enough.  How much more so to get from there to somehow showing you
— & then of course to be as good — as I am sure you would — in my dreams I can, & will —  

But thank you, thank you, Mr. Lehrer. To work for Peace in such a warlike world requires —  inspiration — 
& thank you yet again because to not despair one sometimes needs — corroboration — 


by Johanna Faust
sent c/o dmdb.org & 
posted to Let’s Do & Say We Did
September 8, 2019

No comments:

Post a Comment

COMMENTS are most certainly welcome