Upstairs In Mariane Poem by Douglas Scotney

Can there be
consanguinity
in the 'Sauls' of Kosky and Goethe?

There is in the artist's personalities,
if Wilhelm Meister is consanguine with his creator
as is thought.

12 years after young Wilhelm
was gifted the Goliath story
in the form of a wire-stringed-puppet play,
in which David is dwarf-sized for contrast effect,
Wilhelm pulls it out
to show his actress-girlfriend Mariane
(pronounced to rhyme with banarna)
whom he doesn't know is unfaithful.

Mariane finds Saul too stiff and pedantic,
David too small,
Goliath too tall
and Samuel of no interest at all.
No. She manipulates smooth-chinned Jonathan
to make declarations of love -
to Wilhelm,
who's soon playing bury the banana
upstairs with Mariane.