praise be given, bountifully,
to the magnanimousness
of our most generous host,
the sagacious prince,
whose indomitable spirit
shows such resolute courage
in the face of such calamity–
providing a singular sanctuary
for the prosperous and prominent,
protecting his most affluent allies
from the ravenous, tenacious scourge
which continues its ravages
outside the imposing walls
of this remote, castellated abbey,
spreading death and desolation.
damnation be on his head,
as lurid as the scarlet stains
that so swiftly inflame the flesh
of the plague-ridden courtiers
whose revelries now cease
at the arrival of an unwelcome outsider–
what gradation of privilege,
what manner of hubris, Prospero,
led you to this farcical fallacy:
your worldly riches and repute
offer no real refuge for your revelers
nor shelter from death’s grim snare.
