"The Tragedy of Macdeth"

by Francis X. Bacon
from ACT II
Scene I--A cavern. In the middle, a boiling cauldron.

WITCHES:  Double, treble toil and trouble,
Fan the flamers, prick the bubble,
In the cauldron boil and bake
Packwood's acne, Bobbitt's ache.
Lorena's shiv and Tonya's shank,
Constituents of Barney Frank,
Eye of World Trade Center bomber,
Midnight snack of Jeffrey Dahmer,
                  ...
Distill our brew with earwig venom,
Compound with Amy Fisher's denim,
Teddy's poppers, Willie's toke,
Jonestown punch, Anita's Coke,
Janet Reno's rescue tactics,
Magic Johnson's prophylactics,
G-man's sting and he-man's stench,
Powder'd harlot, Liquid Wrench,
Jaws of Jersey City mobster,
Claws of Chappaquiddick lobster
(clutching in its briny clickers
Mary Jo Kopechne's knickers),
Possum's blister, maggot's wen,
Susan Estrich estrogen--
Macdeth shall thus the networks charm
To spin the news and spare him harm!  [Exeunt]

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The foregoing: one answer to what can be said when
asked about the use and value of humor in poetry in
"The Age of Civility."