Rather than heedless thorns,
In wars, you’ve given him
A coxcomb crown.
When you see him
In the battles of the courts,
He wears Tom Fool’s finery.
His existence has been lost
In your meaning.
“When we are born we cry that we are come
To this great stage of fools”
Did he cry
When he fell from the virgin womb,
Into the laps of soul-hungry vicars
And moral-policing parents?
Then, when everything was quiet
At the end of the day,
Did he weep for you like he wept for Lazarus?
Did he get on his knees and pray?
Author notes
The title is a line from Fool by Christopher Moore. The italicized quote in the poem is from King Lear by William Shakespeare. This is the first draft of the poem.
Adding your comment: