March: Year-day 76

  
                                          
                                          
March: Year-day 76

Knowledge is the hemlock of innocence,
and that is why old Socrates was killed.
Innocents of Athens who heard his sense
ought not--thought those in power--be so filled.

"Keep innocence alive" they whispered round,
"else knowledge will destroy what we have won.
We mustn't let a man whose thinking's sound
ask questions that will leave our frauds undone."

Through the alleys moves a shadow of peace,
nodding to the winds and wandering cats,
adding to the enchantment that is Greece,
ducking/ a wife's flexed yells/ as if they're bats,
teaching as if teaching could never cease
nor human learning/ move slower than rats.

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