What else would you
really expect..
from The Man, The Poet,
in the flesh and bone, himself..
whose favorite philosopher,
more than a century ago,
so famously proclaimed
that “God is dead.”

I reckon
not an effort
to resuscitate
The Greatest
Perished One
right back to life!
Alas.. that is precisely
wherein lies..
The virtue of a child.

Because a camel
only knows to take upon
whichever values
others lay upon him
without question..
a lion only knows
to fiercely reject.
And though
these virtues
may suffice
to many people
by themself..

I offer thee
the virtue of a child, instead.
To make up novel values..
seemingly from nothing
and upon thin air..
as any child would do
during a game
of play pretend..
This virtue
may just end up
as the key
to our salvation
in the modern world..
which opens up a door
to riches we have yet to
ponder or behold.

Dear muses,
fellow reapers,
and all the rest..
I do not bring you
all these heresies
because I feel myself
to be above you.
I do it not because
I think I am the best.

I merely am The One
who stepped up
to fulfilling this
God’s quest..
to bring ye all,
for absolutely free..
this treasure chest
of my own truths,
which you already may
or may not see.

I do so not
to lay my values
forcefully upon you..
to convert you to my cult
of sickly man’s good health..
or else to win the hearts
of fairest maidens
with my so-called,
vainly self-proclaimed,
“the highest
and the holiest
form of wealth.”

Believe me, fellas,
for, I tried so hard
to do so once upon
and then a-many times again.
Just take my word for it,
it’s not a strategy
which works at all
that well.

I bring these treasures
freely to your feet..
so you may spit upon them,
and reject them fiercely,
as a lion would, indeed.
And then,
in your own image,
your own understanding,
and for your own self..
so you may build
your very own,
and truly highest
form of wealth.

So long as,
for at least one person,
I awakened in them
their own inner child..
I shan’t regret this cause
for which I labored
oh.. so.. devilishly..
for which so many times
I cried.
For which I lived so hard,
just for a chance to live
another day and fight.
For which one night,
upon a peaceful height,
I died.