The Authority


Get yourself a well-lit office

And make it the museum of your achievements!

Get yourself a bookshelf

And unleash a vanity that deprives Libraries!

Get yourself sensitive and self-doubting students

And preach with deafening Authority!

Get yourself a mahogany desk

And thump it as your ideas obsolesce!

Get yourself tenure

And safely disrobe your integrity!

Get yourself citations

And justify your growing narrow-mindedness!

Get yourself academic sanctuary

And pretend you’ve transcended barbarism!