In Foxholes
—
man is a curious thing
he holds his ideals so dear
he cannot see and cannot change
his delusions give him wings
and he does not bow
not even to himself
death is a curious thing
for man never thinks of death
until death is thinking of him
and then man's ideals
take man's own wings from him
and use those wings
to leave
god is a curious thing
for man never thinks of god
until man thinks of death
and man never thinks of death
until death is thinking of him
and then god is suddenly
only a word
or more than a word
depending
fear is a curious thing
for man fears nothing
until he thinks of god
when he thinks of death
when death thinks of him
and then the man who will not bow to himself
will bow to anything
i am a curious thing
for i know that in the face of death
i will bow to anything
i should be able to resist the urge
but now death has thought of me
and fear laughs at my flying delusion
my betrayal of myself should shame me
but instead i am only afraid
i am man
and i am too afraid to bow
man is a curious thing