Caliban's Song Poem by gershon hepner

Since my bones aren’t made of coral,
and no sea-nymphs ring my knell,
don’t mind me if I’m immoral,
telling me I’ll go to hell.
What I ask from you instead
of pearls recalling my two eyes
is a night inside your bed,
hearing, ding-dong helped, your cries.

Inspired by Ariel’s Song in “The Tempest”:

Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes;
Nothing of him that does fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell:
Ding-dong.
Hark! Now I hear them – Ding-dong, bell.

5/5/06