Richard Howard
F,ROM THE FILES OF THE SECRET POLICE:
Confiscated Material
Better burn this, my dear, should it ever
reach you. Their procedure here
(which accounts, I am sure, for their success)
is to let no one
whisper to the World Outside
the truth about life in these dominions,
or about death, certain deaths ...
But so tempting was their offer, and so
flattering the terms
that offer was tendered in,
perhaps I accepted precipitantly,
unaware, once my qualms were
quieted, how real the jeopardy was–
you know how I am
when
it
comes to your comfort!
And though I long to tell you All, of course–
why else would I be writing?-
I see no purpose in paying the price
customarily
exacted for such 'treason';
that, incredibly, is what they label
even the mildest impulse
of a mind to question ... For my sake, then,
put this in the fire.
What, for instance, became of
that poor devil my predecessor here?
During our lessons, keeping
my voice quite steady, I did manage once
to ask the Princes,
I
I
