Confucius and I

K'ung Ch'iu turned and bowed his head

“Excuse me sir, am I really dead ?”

A striking figure and made of stone

Stood in the garden . . all alone 

“Well I suppose you are, but then you’re not !

For every day your quoted . . quite a lot

So your wisdom is . . alive as can be”

He stroked his beard . . and stared at me

“Please explain” he said . . in surprise

An emotion not usual . . in a man so wise . . 

“Well . . over time you’ve become a sage

Your astute quotations are all the rage” 

His eyes seemed to sparkle though made of stone

I look around . . but we were all alone . .

There was no witnesses to our conversation

So my experience was fraught with desperation 

"You say my wisdom is highly praised

Well, frankly Sir, I’m quite amazed . .

I simply tried to express my feeling

Your comments send my senses reeling" 

" I was just a tax collector with a humble heart

With a practical message to impart . .

I just couldn’t bear to see illicit gain

Blatant dishonesty causes so much pain”

“Good moral principles is really all I taught

I hate corruption” he said . . deep in thought.

"So as a teacher I thought I’d do more good

And I preached  simple truths that are understood"

“Well Confucius . . your values really are prime

And without question have stood the test of time”

A hint of a smile showed in the stone gray face

Of this paragon . . of the human race 

Then he fell silent . . and stood quite still

And I was just left to admire . . the carvers skill

For apparently I was truly standing all alone

With this famous man . . carved out in stone

Had I been dreaming . . or did he speak ?

This genial man with stone physique

I really didn’t know what to think

Then suddenly . . I saw him wink 

Albert Gazeley(c) May 2009