-From Claggart's tongue-

1.

It's a long night before the next night's 

Funeral prologue;— "I am an old man.."

And I’ve had my belly full of it.

Everything hangs by the short

Rope's end of this day's reading. Soon,

We look to witness the hanging death

Of Billy Budd as I’ve heard them sing of it.

I realize, due to intentional reading's that
The music builds to fold upon itself layer on layer. But

This time,— it returns salutations.

This time,— the terrible beauties display themselves
In the personhood of flesh and bone.

Ship's company's full-throated on ship's deck,

Displayed in scenes by the movement of its planes

Like an orchestrated waterwheel, tortured by its turning.

Soon they’ll hang Billy Budd for not, but the heart's

Farewell to the Rights o' Man,— Then 

For the strike of his fist to silence Claggart's tongue.

We participate, as ship's hands bear witness

To the tense procedure, from the balcony's row above them.

The Grand House has split the ship 

As in the split of bones from Billy’s neck;

Taut and fatal rope held-fast by the hands of hands.

2.

With the Bellipotent dead then curtain drawn

We'll haul-out taking to dry land.

                                      With Leonard Dufresne / 

                                      The Metropolitan Opera / 5/10/12

                                      New York, New York