Books, Manuals, Directives, Regulations. The geometries that circumscribe your working life draw norrower and norrower until nothing fits inside them anymore.

All tragedies are finished by a death, All comedies are ended by a marriage.

A little still she strove, and much repented, And whispering “I will ne'er consent”—consented.

The simple Wordsworth . . . / Who, both by precept and example, shows / That prose is verse, and verse is merely prose.

For pleasures past I do not grieve, nor perils gathering near; My greatest grief is that I leave nothing that claims a tear.

Grieving, if aught inanimate e'er grieves, Over the unreturning brave.

Christians have burnt each other, quite persuaded. That all the Apostles would have done as they did.