Music
Raymond Carver



Franz Liszt eloped with countess Marie D'Agoult,
Who wrote novels. Polite society washed its hands
of him, and his countess-novelist whore.
Liszt gave her three children, and music.
Then went off with Princess Wittgenstein.
Cosima, Liszt's daughter, married
the conductor, Hans von Bülow.
But Richard Wagner stole her. Took her away
to Bayreuth. Where Liszt showed up one morning.
Long white hair flouncing.
Shaking his fist. Music. Music!
Everybody grew more famous.






Composer Portraits by Paul Murphy (Belfast)