America has no need of Milton at this very hour
But just a Punch, a Feste, a Touchstone,
Or that nameless fool in Lear
Should it ever come to that.
A certified Shakespearean fool with all
The motley, foolscap, bauble –
Immunities that mark his passport
From sardonic worlds to ours, and confer a license
To make with mordant wit the points
Unwelcomed by the luminaries.
Those with advanced degrees, deepening pockets,
Familiar names, awards of note
Need not apply. Such types are never wise
Enough to play the fool.
