to linger

By Roberto Lavidez

to linger on the battle-field

among the wounded

to long for unanimity

and self-abasement

to enable a reasonable man

reach a reasoned conclusion

to sustain by intuition

the many blind alleys

to rise above superstition

and wishful thinking

to hunger for innate meaning

to survive the bitter cold

of winter in the atmosphere

of increasing terror

to prevent oneself from sinking

into stagnation and despair

to loosen the noose being

pulled tighter

to do the sort of thing that

only a provocateur would do

to nourish the insatiable

craving for the company

of equals

to learn to conceal timidities

and grudges by disguises

to bring fruits to wanderers

as promised by the philosopher

to listen to the small fry

caught in the toils of the state

to rethink the whole process

covered by the glamour

of patriotism

to question the mission of

empire builders bringing

enlightenment into dark places

to instill a spirit of inquiry

in place of unfounded dogmas

to resist the solicitations

of idol builders who worship

projectiles curving in the air

to endure the unbroken

sequence of frequencies

to live in the moment like

a bird in a tree calling

the cyclic motions of the

heavenly bodies

to witness

the final consequence

of a mechanistic universe

©robertolavidez2013