Goths, vandals, hooligans — term them what you will,
They had swept down from lands beyond the plains,
Charged through the gates, vaulted the bridges, to mill
Around the noble palace we had taken such pains
To get to early. And yet they were there,
Shrieking and howling in a barbarous tongue, waiting
For us almost. Worse: ahead on the stair,
They blocked our path into the primitive forest. Hating
This schoolbrat invasion of our cultured private showing,
We tried to look at the artefacts. They were good,
But better was the exhibition’s insight that the growing
Celtic tribes who covered huge tracts could
Be justly called the the first Europeans. And these
— Loutish, yelling, young — the second, if you please.
They had swept down from lands beyond the plains,
Charged through the gates, vaulted the bridges, to mill
Around the noble palace we had taken such pains
To get to early. And yet they were there,
Shrieking and howling in a barbarous tongue, waiting
For us almost. Worse: ahead on the stair,
They blocked our path into the primitive forest. Hating
This schoolbrat invasion of our cultured private showing,
We tried to look at the artefacts. They were good,
But better was the exhibition’s insight that the growing
Celtic tribes who covered huge tracts could
Be justly called the the first Europeans. And these
— Loutish, yelling, young — the second, if you please.
(1992)
