Ian Holm as Richard III, Royal Shakespeare Company, 1963
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He is in a forest, this little man.
Legs: Dukes, Earls, a King, brothers
who tower above him,
he must strain his neck
look up at them, at everyone,
a quizzical child, imp at a party
Crookback: weight
of the world, weight of cóntained evil,
weight of twisted genes, you call it
as you need to see it.
Lost in a forest, little man
darting through tall men's legs,
world a fairytale dark wood
if he cannot be good
he will be the Witch
he will eat the good
eat the bad
together
the taste of all flesh
is precisely alike.
So have no brother
be like no brother
feel neither pity, love,
nor fear
harvest the forest
cut down the legs
cut down envy
one pair at a time
bloody the earth
grow power from the earth
that grows from blood
power is the harvest
of this little man who stares up
at everyone, better, equal,
inferior, no one can know
who he is in the little man's presence
who sees all alike
food
KTW/8-3-05
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