NO CREDIT
Whether dinner was pleasant, with the windows lit by gunfire, and no
one disagreed; or whether, later, we argued in the park:, and
there was a touch of vomit-gas in the evening air;
whether we found a greater, deeper, more perfect love, by courtesy
of Camels, over
NBC;
whether the comics amused us, or the
newspapers carried a hunger death, and published a whitehouse
prayer for mother's day;
whether the bills were paid or not, whether or not we had our
doubts, whether we spoke our minds at Joe's, and the receipt
said "Not Redeemable," and the cash-register rang up "No
Sale,"
whether the truth was then, or later, or whether the best had already
gone--
Nevetheless, we know; as every turn is measured; as every unavoidable
risk is known;
as nevertheless, the flesh grows old, dies, dies in its only life, is gone;
the reflection goes from the mirror; as the shadow, of ever. a
Communist, is gone from the wall
;
as nevertheless, the current is thrown and the wheels revolve; and
nevertheless, as the word is spoken and the wheat grows tall
and the ships sail on-
None but the fool is paid in full; none but the broker, none but the
scab is certain of profit;
the sheriff alone may attend a third degree in formal attire; alone,
the academy artists multiply in dignity as a trooper's bayonet
guards the door;
only Steve, the side-show robot, knows content; only Steve, the
mechanical man in love with a photo-electric beam, remains
aloof; only Steve, who sits and smokes or stands in salute,
is
secure;
Steve, whose shoebutton eyes are blind to terror, whose painted ears are
deaf to appeal, whose welded breast will never be slashed by
bullets, whose armature soul can hold no fear.
KENNETH FEARING
48
