NEW WORLD

There is a world beyond this one

At least I heard tell it’s so.

How far is it from here? I don’t know.

Maybe close, maybe galaxies away.

Someone very wise even said once

That this wonderful world is within us.

They say he made it; so I guess he should know,

But I don’t.

I’ve heard this world described:

Precious metals, jewels, bright garments

Lavish banquets, mansions of many rooms….

That would be nice, I suppose. I like “stuff,”

But I don’t think second hand perception

Really gets it. In a world that splendid

Human trifles would be meaningless

And worthless.

Instead, it was so far beyond the imagining

Of those who saw and came back to tell,

And so they described the unreachable familiar.

Their minds, however trained, just couldn’t

Wrap themselves around something

They had no hope of understanding: Myopia

Forever exploited by charlatans to gull

The venal.

What will this brave new world be like?

I hope to find out for myself one day,

But until then I will resist speculating

On things I know nothing empirical about

Because whatever I could come up with

Would fall far so far short of my anticipation

My presumption would inevitably spoil

My surprise.

-August 5, 2010

  Chip Bergeron