On the Feldherrenhalle Steps

God you are my refuge into eternity! - Sophie Scholl's last words (attrib.)

The munkle and rattle of an early Munich tram

lurches me suddenly

back

to sombre meditations.

Awake! from dreaming in your comfortable inner space

you brother of dragons

you companion to owls.

Hesse and Bukowski explored their themes

living (or existing) in the present

is one.

In the practical world empathy may aid digestion

when dining with your enemy

Rationality will not save you.

Something important had to be done

here

apart from maximising efficiency

I went and got the data

Re-examined the reasoning

Un-positioned the present.

You can never say never

and you can never change

human nature.

One of them told me it was all a Boys Own adventure

dreamed up at the Hofbrauhaus

when they tanked-up on Teutonic philosophy

fuelled by an addiction

to frothy beer, potato stew

and Wagner

A kind of cosy camaraderie around long tables.

And then handily placed

that brace of proud, crowd facing lions

mounted atop the steps

waiting for the up-and-coming orator

Glorious inspiration hung with bollocks

the size of grapefruits

They should fall off according to Newton.

To Hell! with the all-seeing eye of the agnostic.

I turn and see the girl holding the white rose

standing in a slow dolorous light

frozen vacancy in her eyes.

Is that the rumble of thunder?

Strange amphigory of cirumstance!

Exiguous memory:

We will not be silenced.

Subversion to the proselyte!

God, you are my refuge into eternity!

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gw2008, 2011

An earlier version of the above poem published in Genteel Messages and at the Recusant

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