God I wish I was an ignorant lump of meat

God, I wish I was an ignorant lump of meat,
To mix unthinking with unthinking sheep,
To never stray beyond the tired flocks’ tiresome bleat,
To live my life in shackled sleep.

I wish I too had never seen
The flickers round the shadows’ dreams,
And walked instead a narrow road
And sharing shared a lumpen load.

And would that I could still my mind
And leave all doubts and fears behind
And never have to chase my soul -
For nothing, nothing, held a goal.

But should I wish to raise my eyes
And dally, p’raps, in quiet surprise -
I wish that I could baffled see
No hint nor hope of destiny.

For there I’d find a happy day
And willing, willing, beg to stay :
For silence is a blessed thing
That does not break the tumbling wing.

-unknown -