What justice comes from teacups
Bringing tell-tale mem'ries up
To light, unloved and straining
'Gainst guarded hearts complaining?
Take up the tomes of freedom
The classics, cut from kingdoms,
From republics, raw democracies
Crossing years of youth that bleed
Raw emotion poured from poets
Thrust as far as they can throw it
Into rain and run-off streams
Ancient dynasties and dreams.
Blood and ink and rain congeal
Written well and safely sealed.
Posterity promised praise;
Children's children read and raised
Teacups by a tender fire
Books in bundles stacking higher.
Rain outside falls fast about;
Old men keep the kingdoms out.
Flood the fire, burst the door--
Pick the pages from the floor,
Wave the words like pale, worn flags;
Read them 'til they fall to rags.
History lies in them hid,
Age and time together bid
Classics, canon thus to reign;
Old men wish away the rain.
We know better, we the bards,
Keeping classics in our charge.
Tea and crumpets cast aside,
Spread the wisdom far and wide!
Literati, hear the horn
Hastening the hands unborn
To carry on the wisdom:
In every book, a kingdom.
postscript
A diebhidhe, for DFC day 28. An irish form, with at least two alliterated words per line of seven syllables (which I occasionally made into eight....) and with couplets in stanzas of four lines. A call to remember what a job we have to keep the classics forever classic, and not to lower our standards in this generation and to teach the next to do the same. kiwi-damnation.deviantart.com/…