We Too Had Known Golden Hours

We, too, had known golden

When body and soul were in tune,

Had danced with our true

By the light of a full moon,

And sat with the wise and

As tongues grew witty and

Over some noble

Out of Escoffier;

Had felt the intrusive

Which tears reserve apart,

And would in the old grand

Have sung from a resonant heart.

But, pawed-at and

By the promiscuous crowd,

Concocted by

Into spells to befuddle the crowd,

All words like Peace and Love,

All sane affirmative speech,

Had been soiled, profaned,

To a horrid mechanical screech.

No civil style

That

But the wry, the sotto-voce,

Ironic and monochrome:

And where should we find

For joy or mere

When little was left standing But the suburb of dissent?