i/
pity poor Dante
he rides upon a rouncey
Rocinante rears
his inestimable neigh
as fierce as any dray-horse
caught in flagrante
he makes the bouncey-bouncey
inside the pantry
downs ale-jug after ale-jug
shag-hot hobble-de-nag
glimpsed from the gantry
Beatrice minus flounces
a sweetest nose-gay
against the jeers her ear-plugs
white-noise as any Noh-play
ii/
poor Don Quixote
his castles all rotary
reins Rocinante
nostrils plugged with morning dew
nibbles tough-tooth feverfew
wills a full goatee
furious where once so fey
fetlock and forelock
Cyrano De Bergerac
wore a nose a paper-cup
pity poor Beatrice
wounded once if not twice [ once ]
on the rebound tense
collapses with an ague
not redeemed by feverfew
v11/
him they garrotte
solder-off his testicules
left a hanging nowt
where once a fullness rose
recompense? a bag of oats
farewell old rouncey !
Rocinante gone to glue
galvanised bath health-spa-ice
mortals fall no recompense
as Marxists yell ‘Avanti!’
v11i/
pity poor Dante
his rearing Rocinante ,
still rides out on his rouncey
