Martyr of Modernity Christ had his cross. Antoine Lavoisier, Discoverer of matter’s conservation, When sentenced by the frenzied Paris mob For crimes against the state, used the occasion To make a last experiment. To see How long a brain could live deprived of blood, He asked a friend to mount the guillotine And lift his severed head and count his blinks Before all thought devolved to chemistry, Then bravely gazed until the last: thirteen. Epilogue to “The Emperor’s New Clothes” Returning from his proud procession, The king was pleased by the parade: His ministers left the impression That emperors must…
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