Fantasia Of Verses Poem by gershon hepner

When I am feeling somewhat lazier
than poets tend to be I string
together verses, a fantasia
that beckons like the fantom ring
which gives whoever owns it power
to rule the world. My verses,
sweet sometimes, sometimes sour,
help me to conquer universes
with words that tend to be less drastic
than weapons used with Aryan valor
by Wagner’s heroes, yet fantastic
as Wotan’s mansion. My Valhalla
is not from purloined gold constructed,
as you can see in this fantasia
composed by me to be conducted
without the final euthanasia
that ends the famous Richard’s “Ring, ”
but grows from life force it promotes,
and I, discounter tenor, sing,
high even in the basest, notes.

Inspired by a performance of “Das Rheingold” by the LA Opera on February 2007, conducted by James Conlon (it inspired a poem, “Twlight of the Gods”) and a letter Seamus Heaney sent me on December 13,2004:

191Strand Road, Dublin 4, Ireland
Dear Gershon Hepner,
Many thanks for the fugue, the fall-out, the fantasia of verses you sent. And for the learned parallels you provide from Biblical sources for the Antigone story.
Before long I hope to have offprint of a lecture I gave where I fetch up my own parallels from Irish sources, and will send you a copy when it becomes available. Meanwhile, I relish the brio and sure touch of your glosses and gambols. The whole package did me good.
Sincerely,
Seamus Heaney

2/27/09