Collected Poems

by Anthony Burgess

  Moses spat. ‘Go from me, little man.

  What do you know about whores?’

  The apportioning

  Of the land that they were yet to see went on.

  Caleb read out the figures of the census, for the grant

  Was to be by numbers. ‘The sons of Benjamin –

  Forty-five thousand and six hundred. The families

  Of the Shuhamites – sixty-four thousand four hundred.

  Asher – the return is not yet in.’ Moses said:

  ‘Not one who was with us in the desert of Sinai.

  Not one who remembers Egypt. Except Joshua

  And you. And Me, but my day is over. The word

  Of the Lord is fulfilled.’ Caleb, impatiently:

  ‘Yes yes. The families of Naphtali – little difference

  In their numbers from the numbers of Benjamin – two hundred.

  One might as well give them the same apportionment.’

  Clerks were at work on a planed board. Eleazar,

  The son of Aaron, supervised, marking proportion,

  Location. Then women approached, and Caleb said:

  ‘Women? What can women want?’ Five women,

  Making with purpose towards Moses. Eleazar frowned:

  ‘This is irregular. Women should stay with their children

  And with their pots and pans.’ Moses said:

  ‘You have been infected by the misplaced zeal

  Of your former colleague. Where is he now, by the way?’ –

  ‘Phinehas?’ Eleazar frowned still. ‘Out with the army.

  He has a gift for fighting.’ – ‘He will enjoy it’

  Moses sighed, ‘slaying the Midianite women.

  God help us, when shall we ever be at peace?’

  Eleazar said: ‘The holy war goes on.

  Slay them, said the Lord. Feed the earth

  With the blood of the idolator.’ – ‘Enough, Eleazar,’

  Moses said, and then: ‘Welcome, daughters.’ –

  ‘This is highly irregular,’ cried the priest.

  ‘Many things are irregular’, said one of the women.

  ‘Including what we are about to speak about.

  If it is permitted.’ Moses said:

  ‘It is certainly permitted. You are, are you not,

  The daughters of, the daughters of – Forgive me,

  An old man’s memory, or lack of it.’

  The woman said: ‘I am Mahlah. These are my sisters:

  Hoglah, Noah, Milcah, Tirzah – daughters of

  Zelophehad, now dead.’ – ‘Ah yes’, said Moses.

  ‘Slain in battle, was he not?’ – ‘Slain.

  With his sons, our brothers. Thanks to your holy wars

  We are without menfolk. Though how a war can be holy – ’

  Eleazar said: ‘Have a care, woman,’ but she:

  ‘Killing, killing, killing. Will your God

  Strike me down because I cry against killing?

  Well, let him. He is made in the likeness of a man.’

  Gently Moses said: ‘God is a spirit.

  His voice has come to me in many forms,

  Because a spirit lacks a voice of its own.

  The voice has sometimes been the voice of Miriam,

  My own sister.’ Mahlah said: ‘Be that as it may,

  Your God seems fond of killing. A woman brings forth

  With pain, high priest, that few men could truly bear –

  Only that her sons may be killed in some holy war.

  But that is not directly to my purpose.’ –

  ‘What’, said Moses gently, ‘is your purpose?’

  Mahlah said: ‘We are women without menfolk.

  The name of our father has disappeared from your record.

  What will happen to his portion of the promised land?’

  Eleazar said: ‘Woman, it is clearly laid down

  That the sons alone shall inherit. If there are no sons,

  There is no inheritance.’ But Mahlah cried:

  ‘Injustice, man’s injustice.’ And Eleazar:

  ‘It is the law.’ – ‘That is always the answer:

  It is the law. And how if the law be unjust?’

  Eleazar said: ‘You merit the Lord’s malediction.

  One does not question the law.’ But she, in anger:

  ‘High priest, I am questioning it.’ And Moses:

  ‘Daughter, you are right to question it.

  Peace, Eleazar. And my response is this:

  If a man die and leave no son, then the father’s

  Inheritance shall pass to the daughters.’ Eleazar

  Seemed ready to burn. ‘Heresy?’ Moses said.

  ‘An abomination? The Lord, as you see, high priest,

  Has not yet offered to strike me dead. Nor will he.

  Daughters of Israel, you have your inheritance.’

  But still in the future, always it seemed, in the future.

  Across the plain, soon, advancing armies,

  And Joshua said: ‘They are coming for revenge.

  Or shall we call it a pretext? You, priest,

  Are certainly in the fight’, addressing Phinehas

  Who, stripped of his sacerdotal robes,

  Arrayed as a somewhat puny warrior,

  Sweated as he heard drums. Moses said:

  ‘Is this the last battle, Joshua?

  For all the kings of Midian will join Balak

  Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba.’ –

  ‘The last fight’, Joshua said, ‘this side of Jordan.

  How do the words go? Speak the words again.’ –

  ‘The false gods crushed under the feet of Israel.

  And you shall take the spoils of all their cattle

  And all their flocks, yea, and all their goods,

  And burn all the cities wherein they dwell

  A holy war, but we have not provoked it.’

  Joshua said: ‘You are tired. Stay in your tent.

  I will send word.’ And Moses: ‘You will prevail.

  The blessing of God go with you, Joshua.’

  So banners, trumpets and drums proclaimed to the sky

  The going forth of the Israelites to war –

  While Moses prayed: ‘Let there be an end to war –

  An end, O Lord’, but little hope in his words.

  18

  JORDAN

  Moses half-slept in his lonely tent – Ghershom,

  His son, gone with the army, Zipporah, his wife,

  Dust; himself soon to be dust. He heard

  His own voice, or the voice of the Lord, or of Israel:

  And you have taken the spoils of all their cattle

  And all their sheep, yea, and all their goods,

  And burnt all the cities wherein they dwelt,

  And all their goodly castles with fire and

  All their goodly castles with fire and all their

  Goodly castles with fire and he saw a

  Castle innumerable cubits high falling

  In flames and heard the screams of men falling,

  Women and children. He came sharply awake

  To sense a presence not a dreaming presence

  And said: ‘Is it you, Lord?’ And the presence said:

  ‘All is fulfilled. The slain lie like leaves

  In the fall tempests. Over those fallen leaves

  You may fare forward. But first the sheep need

  A new shepherd. Take Joshua, son of Nun,

  A man in whom the spirit burns like a fire,

  And lay your hands upon him.’ So Joshua, from the wars,

  Scarred and ready for wine and a handmaiden,

  Was told these words and at once was hushed and solemn.

  Before the tabernacle Moses laid his hand

  On the warrior’s head, saying: ‘You are not exalted

  To any priesthood. You need no robes, no chrism.

  You are become that humblest of beings – a leader
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br />   Accountable to the people and to the Lord,

  With duties and no rights.’ He raised his arms

  Before the assembled nation, bidding them

  Acclaim their new shepherd, hearing however

  Beneath the acclamation the growls of the restive,

  As was to be expected. He smiled with relief

  At being allowed the guerdon of fatigue,

  Old age at last. Under a star-filled heaven

  Their caravan moved in silence, under the sun,

  Moses at rest in an ox-cart, Joshua ahead,

  Until one day Joshua came and pointed

  Ahead at a certain mountain. Pisgah? Pisgah.

  So in the plain they set up the tabernacle,

  Pitched their tents, the people in good heart,

  The young singing and dancing about the fires,

  Moses fulfilling his last duties. He said,

  To the tribal leaders round a fire, plain words

  About the necessity and beauty of the law

  Or laws: ‘Too many laws, some will say –

  A huge web woven of many webs – but remember

  This, this: that the law is our city,

  Complex, cunningly woven – many streets,

  Buildings, rooms – yet a city we may carry

  About with us, wherever we go. Remember

  This: we are the chosen, and this means

  Many enemies among the unchosen. Enemies.

  They will slay us and pursue us. The unchosen.

  And we may never finally be at rest.

  But wherever we go we will carry our city with us.

  The law. Break one single stone of the law,

  However small, and a part of the city falls.

  Soon the temples and palaces and dwellings

  Will crash about our ears. And we shall be lost.

  Keep the law. Teach the law. Teach it.’

  Phinehas, a subdued man, lacking an arm,

  Stiff with scars, taught the children, asking:

  ‘What are we allowed to eat?’The ox

  The sheep the goat the roebuck ‘If you were asked

  What kind of animal?’ Animals that have the

  Hoof parted in two ‘Like the pig?’

  No no no ‘Why not like the pig?’

  Because the pig does not chew the cud

  ‘So the animal has to chew the cud. So we may

  Eat the camel, the rabbit, the hare?’ No no

  No no no ‘Why not?’ Because they do not

  Divide the hoof in two ‘So we can

  Eat beasts that divide the hoof and chew the cud,

  But not beasts that just do one and no both.

  Yes, my son?’ Why? ‘Well, let me put it

  This way…’ Eleazar taught older boys,

  Saying: ‘Well, let me put it this way.

  Without the past the present can mean nothing.

  Without the past a man is a sort of ghost

  Trembling on the brink of a future

  He cannot understand. So we remember

  The past in ceremonies, force ourselves to remember.

  In our promised land we shall remember

  Our long exile, tribulations, thus

  Becoming aware of our qualities as a nation,

  A fighting nation, a law-abiding nation,

  A proud nation.’ Rabbi – ‘Yes, my son?’

  Why isn’t Moses going with us? ‘Well now,

  Let me put it this way…’ Moses was saying,

  Addressing the priests and elders: ‘Because of my doubt

  Of God’s promise, because I cried out on my trust

  And sought to reject it, I may not enter. You

  Shall cross the Jordan, Joshua leading you,

  But I – full of years, at the end of my journey –

  Must await my end here. But I have taught you

  The song I have written. Teach it. Remember it.

  Remember me.’ So they taught it, and one day,

  The whole of the people sang it, the song of Moses:

  ‘Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak.

  And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

  My doctrine shall drop as the rain,

  My speech shall distil as the dew,

  As the small rain upon the tender herb,

  And as the showers upon the grass.

  The Lord is the Rock, his work is perfect.

  Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people:

  For he will avenge the blood of his servants,

  And will be merciful unto his land,

  And to his people.’ And they danced to the flute, the harp,

  The shawm, the trumpet, to the air of his song:

  And Moses said: ‘Beloved, keep the commandments.

  Love justice and mercy. Love the Lord our God,

  For his ways are the ways of justice and mercy.’

  And he saw that the time was coming for his people

  To pass over the river and take up their inheritance.

  So he bade the whole of the Israelite nation kneel,

  And they knelt, and then he blessed them, saying:

  ‘Happy art thou, O Israel. Who is like unto thee,

  O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help

  And the sword of thy excellency. There is none like unto your God,

  Who rides upon the heavens. The eternal God

  Is your refuge, and underneath

  Are the everlasting arms.’ Then the Israelite Army

  Saluted his greatness with shouts and with the clamour

  Of drums and silver trumpets. So he moved

  To the mountain, and Caleb and Joshua tried to help him

  In his climb to the summit, but he waved their help aside.

  He climbed and they watched him, thinking: Strong as an ox,

  With the eyes of an eagle, but it was not true,

  Not true any longer. The Israelites, shielding their sight

  Against the sun, watched him long and long

  Till he reached the top of the mountain. There he rested.

  And after a time of rest he heard a voice,

  His own voice, young again, saying to him:

  ‘Now, Moses, I will show you their inheritance.’

  He said: ‘But not mine’, with his old boldness,

  The boldness of a prince. ‘You are a hard

  And unforgiving God.’ The voice said: ‘Unforgiving?

  If you but knew, if you only knew. But I

  Have sworn and made my covenant with man.

  I shall not again destroy him for his sins.

  Yet I shall torment him with dissatisfaction,

  For only in me shall he be satisfied.

  Look now – all the land of Gilead, unto Dan.’

  And Moses stood to look, seeing the river,

  And all the lands beyond the river, fair,

  Rich and fair. ‘Look. And all Naphtali

  And the land of Ephraim and Manasseh,

  And the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea.

  And the plain of the valley of Jericho, city of palm-trees,

  Unto Zoar. This is the land which I swore

  Unto Abraham, and Isaac, and unto Jacob,

  Saying: I will give it unto thy seed.

  Moses, I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes,

  But thou shalt not go thither.’ Moses did not

  Weep, but he said again, with a princely boldness:

  ‘You are a hard and unforgiving God.’ –

  ‘Go down now. Return to the valley of Moab,’

  Said the voice. And Moses said: ‘To die.”

  And the voice said: ‘What else?’ So he went down

  And waited, willing death, which was not long,

  For when a man’s work is done there is only death.

  The women closing his eyes, wailing, but Joshua

  Was dry-eyed. Eleazar made an obeisance

  To the leader of the Israelites, and said
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br />   ‘You must give the instructions as to his burial.’

  And Joshua said: ‘Here in this valley of Moab,

  This side of Jordan.’ And then Eleazar said:

  ‘You must now give instructions as to the gravestone

  And what shall be written thereon.’ But Joshua said:

  ‘It is better that no man know where he is buried.

  It is better that he be thought of as –

  Not lying in one place. For he must not have

  Idolators at his shrine. He is with us

  In the water we drink, the food we eat. We breathe him.’

  Eleazar said: ‘Will you make up the words

  That shall be spoken to the people?’ But Joshua:

  ‘I have already made them.’ And so he spoke to the people:

  ‘There will never arise again in Israel

  A prophet like unto Moses, whom the Lord

  Knew face to face. In all the signs and wonders,

  Which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt

  And in all that mighty hand, and the great terror

  Which Moses showed in the sight of all Israel.’

  The muffled drums beat, and the body of Moses

  Was borne away on a litter. Most of the people

  Wished to follow, but Joshua forbade them.

  The body of Moses was carried none knows whither

  And rests now none knows where. And Joshua

  The son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom.

  For Moses had laid his hands upon him,

  And the children of Israel hearkened unto him,

  And did as the Lord commanded Moses. Joshua

  Raised his blessed hand, and they fared forward,

  Coming at length to a river. Caleb said:

  ‘At last.’ But Joshua: ‘We still have to cross it.

  God will provide. This is only a river

  Once we crossed a sea. Well – we have our orders.’

  He smiled, and Caleb smiled, and so they marched.

  And then at last, the voice spoke to Joshua:

  ‘Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore, Joshua

  Go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people

  Unto the land which I do give them. From the wilderness

  Even unto the great river, the Euphrates,

  And unto the great sea toward the going down

  Of the sun. And as I was with Moses,

  So will I be with thee: I will not fail thee,

  Nor forsake thee. Be therefore not afraid,

  Neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God

  Is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ The wilderness

  Held a grave, but none would know the grave.

  Not from the grave but from the living air

  And the beating blood of Israel the voice