new glasses nullification

a crystal ball or looking glass
sometimes it's hard to tell
just which one i'm looking at
for they both reveal a hell

they could be but one and the same
'tis possible it seems
or maybe down a hall of mirrors
sleepwalking in History's dreams

all i know is i cannot turn away
i stare at the time as it passes
my gaze affixed until i die
or until i get new glasses

stephenhsmith 2Jan2009

the ultimate purely ironic?
immortis but not ironclad
in wars of ideas
as with those between men
the good get killed with the bad

collateral damage'll not be escaped
any reading of History will show
thus more important than ever
on the subject of "change"
the old admonition, "go slow"

what someone hears ain't just what was said
the words go through some sort of filter
of the moment's expectations and built-up assumptions
knocks 'em all out of kilter
subsequent restatings 'oer the passage of time
are required to nail down where they lay
a question that's useful from time to time
is "what did you hear me say" ?

stephenhsmith 9jan09