As Ever Like the Sun & Moon at War

8- ❂❂ -IX

The night and day that follow pass as he

traverses back toward the city state,

and in this passing time he's come to find

perhaps he's ascertain'd his future now,

for on the overmorrow since he left

his paradise behind, did he conclude

he'll reconvene with Doll and say to her:

"I'm sorry from the depths within mine heart,

and on my life betwixt the Earth and Sky

and by my soul to shred within the Sea,                10

I swear that if thou grant the priv'lege of

the raising of thy child to mine hand

I'll love thy babe as if thiy is mine own—

the Progeny forever I've desir'd—

for though I'm troubled in my mind and am

so unaware if ever shall I heal,

I've learn'd I need to move ahead with life

and let within mine heart the love I've form'd

within myself and those whom I befriend,

which—twixt us two in this scenario—                20

doth mean I love thee just the same as thou'st

already come t'admit to loving me.

I wish to settle down and be around

the ones I love, no longer let to sit

and wallow in remorse and horrid shame

alone except the bottle in my grip.

I wish to raise a fam'ly, growing old

and watch our offspring more aware than we

of th'errors that we made before thir birth,

who'll walk the planet diff'rently from us,                30

perhaps with lighter prints of grace and care

for ev'ry living creature and their ways;

perhaps with deeper marks that change the minds

non-vi'lently of those whom evil'd sow.

I wish to watch—in moments even when

impossible for me to see thim walk—

thir pilgrimage across the ailing Earth,

for though I'd never want for thim to feel

the pains I've felt, thiy'll certainly have need

of meaning in thir life, for which thiy'll have                40

to search, regardless whether that should mean

thiy buys a house a couple streets away

from ours to raise a fam'ly of thir own,

or journeys over desert dunes and dust

in search of places, people thiy may call

new friends, and land on which thiy will begin

a life wherein thiy won't be forc'd to bear

the guilt residing heavy in our hearts.

Regardless where the winding road should take