Terza Rima of the Tokhang

 

 

 

Midway upon the journey of my life

I came upon the edge of a dark wood,

Straight into the crook’d path of my strife.

 

My strife had always been with the good,

Because it heeded all the rules, and bowed

Before the good of all, brooked no doubt nor mood.

 

By law or ethic or human right I was not cowed

The end I saw had to be reached, must bend all rules.

None can stop me, I snort and curse, say it out loud,

 

Put the fear of their stupid God into righteous fools:

The rap at their door must come in the night,

Open up, we barked, or plead or use our tools—

 

Surrender and sign, own up is your only right,

Or we we’ll wreck your door, show you hell.

If you flee, we shoot, we show you the Might

 

Of State, because you fought back and you fell.

That is the illusion we must maintain:

No amount of public clamor or uproar can tell 

 

Us to stop. Hell is not to see the reign

Of blood, the rule of fear has taken over

All life now coursing in the human vein:

 

Reason and righteous anger all go under.

 

 

Marne Kilates

27 April 2018