God, I wish I was an ignorant lump of meat

God, I wish I was an ignorant lump of meat
To mix unthinking with unthinking sheep,
To never stray beyond the tired flock’s tiresome bleat,
To live my life in shackled sleep -

I wish I too had never seen
The flickers round our shadow dream,
And walked instead a narrow road,
And sharing shared a lumpen load.

And would that I could stay my mind
And leave all doubts and fears behind,
And never have to chase my soul,
For nothing, nothing, held a goal -

But should I wish to raise my eyes,
And dally, p’raps, in quiet surprise,
I wish that I could baffled see
No hint nor hope of destiny.

For there I’d find my happiest day,
And willing, willing, beg to stay:
For ignorance is a blessed thing
That will not break a tumbling wing.

6/3/00