Carlyle and the Roosters

Those cock cries banished sleep--

kept him from work all day.

Words snarled in rooster throats.

Word meanings went astray.


They built him a soundproof room,

shut every noise away;

but the roosters went inside--

in his head he heard them say:


"The hero is a giant cock.

History--mere rooster play.

Duty's whatever you do,

work a holiday--


"and the rooster of all great roosters

on his fence post sits and brays

of the nowhere of tomorrow,

the nothingness of today."


Copyright 2010-2012 Paul Petrie