One of us must surrender
Ere this affair is done.
I beg You — for it could not be —
That You be not the one.
Deliriums are delightful
To soothe a strange disease.
My substance soon will recognize
Its bare necessities.
Hump me like a hunchback,
Or trip me on the stairs,
A darling ghost I used to know
Will prop me with her prayers.
Twist me on Your anvil
To any shape you know,
For Your instruction I’ll protest
And groan at every blow.
To let You know what costs me,
What is and is not pain,
From now until the duel ends
I promise to complain.
From Boundaries
