Tender Sins of Earth

The Temple’s Fool

 

May All Climbers Climb

Unharried & in the Eye of God

 

-P-

 

"Why climb you here?"

The crawler asked

 

“Why do you so unclad?

 

Hast thou a serpent in thy head,

That thou wouldst be so mad?"

 

The climber fiercely

Looked away,

 

As if he chided time

 

He said, "I am a climber, sir,

And climbers all must climb

 

I am the rarest of the rare,

 

The maddest of all men,

 

For where a temple rises high,

My climbing must begin.

 

I am a naked Son of Man, 

Born in the vestibule,

 

A momentary act of God,

And this great temple’s fool.”