Et in absentia, elle

* The song is sung,
* the curtain rung;
* the play is over, for the night.
* And on the stage
* in fits of rage;
* three actors argue who is right.
* While, from a shelf
* a gleeful elf
* looks down, and giggles at the fight.
* Then; opening time,
* once more, they rhyme
* harmoniously, the world's to right.

(All the world's a stage: and as one poor sod found out recently, it has some unexpected exits)