Patina

By Robert James DeBurgh (Poet)

LO! When the wind that blows, in infitesimal
Particles
The sands of LUXOR, across the Valley of the
Kings,
And century by century covers up articles
Like combs and cups, and necklaces and
Things,
How like the process of Forgetting
In the memory of Man, this is.

For, is it not the Particles of Other Sands,
Blown by the Winds of Thought, Reflection,
Retrospect, and looking back,
That spreads across the landscape of our Brains
And covers up the bright and brilliant Notions
That are like the Stars in their motions
Choked with emotions
From roof apex to the drains?

CODA
This is the only thing we do know : NOTHING!

Sidi bou Sayyed, August 1888

NOTES ON PROVENANCE:
We are indebted to Miss Emily Ffrench-Spune, for bringing this Work to the attention of The Society. It is so obviously an Authentic DeBurgh that we immediately recompensed Miss Ffrench-Spune the sum of 1/11d for 'out of pocket expenses' and bus fare.

The Work was discovered when Miss Ffrench-Spune was clearing out her late Grandmother's effects in 1942, when she came upon the Work neatly wrapped in some pink Silk Lingerie.

Whether the Lingerie was her Grandmother's or DeBurgh's is the subject of heated debate....