Classic Post--December 18th, 2006

This one is a particularly timely one--touching on the first time I stood outside Goldman Sachs with a painting of its Chairman. I liked my use of "colossi" as the plural.

The Charge of the Light Brigade

1.

Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
"Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

2.

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

3.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

4.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

5.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

6.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made,
Honor the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred.

I am surprised that nowhere in the Charge of the Light Brigade are the words Goldman Sachs mentioned. For surely my trundle down to 85 Broad Street with "Big Lloyd I (.6 Billion)" rolled and tucked under my arm would reckon rightly amongst the tale of these brave folk.

You think this stuff is easy?

Anyway, uneasily we stood on opposite sides of Broad Street. The office of Goldman Sachs, which would of course be this:



And my painting of that company's chairman, which would of course be this:



Like two colossi. Neither blinking.

I'm reminded of the battle between the Union and Confederate soldiers at Antietam, as they stood eye to eye, less than 8 meters apart, across the chasm known as the sunken road.

Waiting. Waiting for the first move.

Then, out come the cellphones. Photos taken. Watchers appear on the eBay listing. The process begins. With it begins my Mercedes fantasy of several previous posts ago.

Life is, I guess, good.

This would, of course, be me:



Half a league. Half a league.