Thursday, July 16, 2020

Desideratum ~ Thursday, July 16, 2020

Energy, abundant in little kids, 
nevertheless, dissipates in adults, 
endless, boundless excitement toward life 
revoked as we crawl toward death, our bids, 
graciously ignored, for mercy and joy, 
yet, accepted as the pleas of dead bolts, 

equals our incomprehension, our strife, 
quality over quantity, to run, 
under the circumstances, a daft ploy, 
arguably ignorant of the facts, 
life moves forward with time's arrow, to look 
slantwise to a past long gone, absent, lacks 

mass in the cranium, our large brains cook 
ancient schemes to grow young again, pokes fun 
secretly into the belly button, 
surprising the speed of light to respond, 

times like these, where we sit and wait to die, 
indeed become tiresome events, no fun 
makes Jacques a dull, hopeless, worried old man, 
even if he could squeal with joy, Le Monde 
simply cannot accept he wants to buy 

the speed of light to travel back in time, 
he does not know how to measure, to span 
entire lifetimes unfolds the universe, 

speed as swift as light and he disappears, 
perishes not in a time machine, curse 
everyone, Jacques must begin with the stars, 
ears listen to hear as hollow tubes chime, 
despite his insistence, Jacques lacks the mind 

of a theoretical physicist, 
for even a simple scientist knows 

light does not bend to the whims of the blind, 
if he knew then what he cannot know now, 
given he died chasing what we insist 
has no value, no one merits but sows 
tucking their snouts into troughs of oatmeal, 

squared into a corner, far from the plow, 
queen to king's bishop eight, farmhands play chess 
under the shady elms during their break, 
asking nothing but to work for progress, 
reasonably touched by a loss, they quake 
ever so quietly in their boots, feel 
depressed Farmer Jacques sleeps among the reeds. 

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