This morning enfolds unfunded hope, <br />Promiscuous promise, and delirious doubt; <br />A glassy-eyed morning whose atmosphere <br />Is saturated with aspirin and ephedrine; <br />A morning staggering to meet its train, <br />Glasses left behind in another suit; <br />A morning that will be late for lunch. <br />What will, what can, a morning such as this disclose? <br />What shall it reveal to us and its progeny? <br />What lessons learned and at what cost? <br />The human spirit elsewhere thirsts for knowledge, <br />Settling for reassurance its myths remain intact. <br />But here and now will the lesson come <br />From next door pushing a borrowed lawn mower, <br />By bus wearing a neighboring city's league colors, <br />Or swiftly from afar, in silence, severing a limb? <br />Will it trudge in, shivering, muttering under its breath, <br />Arriving with a slap in the face, a whispering nudge, <br />Or the gentle, startling chime of an elevator bell? <br />Will knowledge condense to an aphorism, <br />Or lounge within dissertation pages waiting to be typed? <br />Accosted, absorbed, or stepped over deftly? <br />Shall eyesight fade, straining to see, <br />Or capable but careless, stare straight through, <br />Failing to recognize the kernel <br />Among seeds genetically altered <br />And strewn upon the ground? If found, <br />Will knowledge be nurtured by generations to come? <br />Student loans repaid, frat stunts repented? <br />Will there ever be a human pyramid that does not collapse <br />In chaos, rude jokes, and an inept tangle <br />Of megaphones, pleated skirts, and letter sweaters <br />As we fall from the shoulders of giants?<br /><br />Gary Witt<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/multiple-choice-in-the-cheery-dew-of-dawn/
