Then came there two men of law

Then came there two men of law

upright men, men of honor
who through a glass darkly

see what lies before them.


The elder wears world weary
the mask of one slow of thought
behind which blade sharp
his cutting mind watches


collects truths contained in lies
pieces fact from falsehood
from shattered shards and slivers
the trummern of frangible truths


descended though he knows it not
from the seventh son of a seventh son
of an emigrant from
The Isle of the Wise


Which lay unmapped of man
in a cold northern sea
where men and women wise
studied the paths of thought

Commanded as though by god
who speaking whispers their ear
disembodied his voice through
the air flying, fast as light


Calls, commands the time and place
where sun's light, warm shafted beams
fall upon forms one cold one still
deaths darkness brought to light


Nights concealing dark uncovering
shadows edge withdrawing slowly
the world spins the truths point
into the fragmented sight of men


The business of death the living
here undertake in documents
forms official, reports and writings
voices recording on chips of stone


The younger see with eyes
unjaundiced the framing form
of the corpses dis-eyed
before the rising light of day


can find them living
youth impatient fierce uncertain
where is the thread
to bind together


these shattered lives in pieces lying
cryptic on the ground before him
wonders when the wanderer
will show or if he has already

let the number sightless

in code A=A+1

increment go sub

where the file is not found

spy white the cat

who sits silent waiting

calling the other from 

the city of dark shadows

from the bridge the city spanning

beneath the umber changeless sky

where they speak 

the two who watch

called to the place of deaths dark dealing

where weights the corpse

by gravity pulled downward

into earths ancient arms enfolding

Come, sweet death, come, blessed rest! Come lead me to peace for I am weary of the world, O come! I wait for you, come soon and lead me, close my eyes.

Come, sweet death, come blessed rest! It is better in heaven, for there is all pleasure greater, therefore I am at all times prepared to say "Farewell," I close my eyes.