The first Wizard of the North

Those who read fiction

or listen to radio plays

ears pressed to the pillow
mind curious
yet yearning for sleep

know you can hold court
without being a king or a baron

Walter Scott regaled
with his tales
drawing others near
with ghostly flames
of the Borders
when he himself was lame

and perhaps even imagined he was the first Wizard of the North

Stevenson was no different
his weakeness
was in his lungs

and allaying the pain
gave him access
to laudanum and to Hyde

in this Poe was his equivalent

but Stevenson was hardly impaired
when he was sick and lay a-bed
and watched his leaden soldiers go
with different uniforms and drills
among the bed-clothes
through the hills
or when he sent his ships
in fleets
all up and down the sheets
or brought his trees and houses out
and planted cities all about
for he was the giant great and still
that sat upon the pillow-hill
and saw before him, dale and plain
the pleasant land of counterpane

but when his soldiers marched

off the bed

he surely had cause

to fret

even if didn't have recourse

to Glinda

the Good Witch of the North

or the Wizard either
holding court
poor Dorothy
hearing from the representatives
of the Lollipop Guild
and the Lullaby League

and any number of midgets
paid to make Oz normal
until she could return
to Kansas
to Aunt Em and Uncle Henry
to baron, king and court.