A voice offstage began to sing
With a grating glissando, a petulant ring,
To an indolent audience: What does it mean?
Bring Bring Bring Bring
This ritual can hardly be religious,
With such ambiguous crunching and jeering;
Is it auditory or litigious?
Hearing Hearing Hearing
Unfit for a clavier because
It’s so ill-tempered, inept for opera,
Suited just to gossipers and hymenoptera —
Abuzz Abuzz Abuzz
What are its intentions then?
To elucidate or drive insane?
To stifle or sing out again:
Refrain Refrain Refrain
Thus rapt within a captive languor,
Where no diurnal stroke can break
The spell of that infernal clangor,
Awake Awake A
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