Monday, October 06, 2014

Poem - boëthius was going / to reconcile / faith with reason

boëthius was going
to reconcile
faith and reason

conjungere rationem 
fidemque

they tightened
a rope around
his head

until his eyes
bulged out

and clubbed him
to death

but from 'the consolation
of philosophy'
we get the prayer

  let me accept the things
  i cannot change

  and the courage
  to change the things i can

  and the wisdom to know
  the difference

i can't tell
i know i never will

boëthius is
the moon half risen
i see tonight

wrapped in
sheet of fine linen

or paper that
dissolves in water






+


for Anicius Manlius Severinus Boëthius
 c. 480–524 or 525 AD







No comments: