Our sleeping mother, lying dead,
Her songs buried in dusty books,
While on our faces puzzled looks,
Wondering how we will be fed.
We gather in a sterile room,
In sterling silence sit for one,
And pray the hours soon be done,
So we may leave this tedious tomb.
Like awkward mourners we all wait
Pressed to the bars as anxious flowers
While mutt�ring low, �who has the pow�r
To open wide this ancient gate?�
When suddenly, like arctic breeze
On summer�s hottest dogged day,
We see one amble in the way
And hear the jangling of the keys
He stands before the pupils now
Inspecting faces, moods and names,
Commanding all to rise for games,
Instructing in the ways of �wow�
Stacks of paper in air out-flung
And as they floated gently down
There was not seen a single frown
In bemused faces of the young
�You�re here to learn the words of death,
To read the wisdom of the past
And though the subject is quite vast
You�ll see these people shared your breath.
They lived their lives like you and me,
Not so far-distant from our time,
Their minds lie now, like muted mimes
In all these tales of prudery.�
A creak as now he swings the gate
�I tell you that we may not laugh
Or I may lose my job on staff,
You have been warned before too late.�
We watch the keeper waltz inside
The graveyard where the books are kept
Ready to wake those that had slept
Shovel in hand and eyes so wide
As we walk �round we start to speak
�How do you do?� �What are you called?�
�How could one ever be appalled
At jokes that really sound quite meek?�
Among foremost stones we reveal
The one who first pushed down the door;
And questioned what he was there for
Speaking against his friends in zeal
�Your love of gold will be your end-
I warn you thus, I�ll say no more�
Just be careful what you wish for�
The epitaph inscribed, �A Friend.�
The next reads simply, �Liberty:
The fruit sought for by all mankind
That, sadly, women may not find�
And this is what you need to see.�
We came across such beauty there
In that garden of words and age
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We could not help but sit and stare
�How do I love thee? I�ll tally
The eagle�s fragmentary speech,
Two hearts beating, each to each.
Kingly idylls in this valley!�
The day grew darker, passing clouds
Obscured the glory of the sun
Uncov�ring the gravestone of one
Whose dim words, religion enshrouds.
�We�re animals: this much I�ve learned.
I�m sorry things turned out like this
If I could take back logic�s kiss
I�d hold your spirits, as you�ve yearned.�
The walk that started free and gay
Began to wither into dearth
It seemed that all upon the earth
Had lost the innocence of day
The night was falling, dark and true
We noticed ghosts wan�dring in mists
Proclaiming loud with voice and fists
Of all that used to be taboo
�The goblin market now is here!
Come inside and you may now see
A man detained for sodomy
Writing beauty that seems quite queer!
We care no more for heav�n or hell
We�ve understood the true meaning;
Discarded that post for leaning,
We�ve outgrown these myths� just as well!�
The ghosts of those freshly deceased
Danced in the dark after sun-down
Sat in recluse corners on the ground
Pond�ring the nature of the beast.
We saw more as we walked forward�
Over there is a shy youngster
Gazing eastward toward Christminster
Weeping, �the horror, the horror!�
A specter presents unto us
Something about a wasted land.
(We do not try to understand
But question, �what is the big fuss?�)
As we read the final stanza,
We soft hear angel Gabriel say
�Better burn out than fade away,�
While eating a third banana�