Frank Corcoran

Sebastian Bach came by to quaff a glass

At Cafe Zimmermann , Rhenish , fast ,

The score uncopied , soprano wobble dast-

-Ardly , Bach was hardly friendly …. Yet I asked :



” Music and suffering , Cantor ? Or the ” Pass-

-Us Duriusculus ? I´d like to ask …. “

” Get back to your counterpoint ! ” ( I was young and callow …. )

” Bend it to your will ! And stop being fallow ! “



Nearly blind, a son was leading , Friedemann .

” Will no one find me better weed in Zimmermann ´s ? “

Bach´s pipe gone out , his temper was not everyman´s ….



They left again , into the Leipzig dusk ,

Tobacco and wine – a little …. Well , es muss

Sein . That great forehead . long gone to dust .