He was sat in an obscure corner of the world, In Memphis (of late), and left alone to read Obscure histories, of the fishing of sea-bream, And grouper, of the proper ecological relations, Of sponge, tortoise, and the sunlight which scatters Thru the unlanc'd emeraldry of sea-skin, Their holy bilayer. This curriculum Like most, went totally unfulfilled, unrepentant though he stayed Thereto. Power, charm, height were promised Him at the outset of this, An odyssey in Aramaic, but the cashing-in thereof Proved plus dificcile than expected, And there is your general lesson. By whom were such promises forsworn, whose Was the setting hand which him there In prematurely (truly) aging Memphis him set? Keen, but too late arrived. This door Now shall close. For you alone stood it Ajar and now nevermore shall its threshold Suffer the calls of prostrating neighbors.