Bees and Fleas

[andrew at cee.hw.ac.uk]

Paul DiFilippo writes:

> Am I totally hallucinating, or do I recall from college course
> on the Metaphysicals that John Donne wrote a lascivious version
> of the Shakespeare poem, to wit:  Where the Flea sucks, there
> suck I"?  Note:  two questions above not mutually exclusive.

No, it's not a total hallucination - unless I am sharing it in which
case it must be a joint hallucination (must remember to stop inhaling
that Indian Hemp). Donne has indeed written a poem about a
bloodsucking flea - key point being how the flea manages to mingle the
blood of the lovers whose sexual act has still left them separate and
stranded etc. However, I don't recall that it goes `Where the Flea
sucks, there suck I'.


Andrew Dinn
-----------
And though Earthliness forget you,
To the stilled Earth say:  I flow.
To the rushing water speak:  I am.