If you don't know the kind of person I am,and I don't know the kind of person you are,
a pattern that others made may prevail in the world.
And following the wrong god home,
we may miss our star.
For there is many a small betrayal in the mind,
a shrug that lets the fragile sequence break,
sending with shouts the horrible errors
of childhood storming out to play
through the broken dyke.
I call it cruel and maybe the root of all cruelty -
to know what occurs and not recognize the fact.
An so I appeal to a voice - to something shadowy,
a remote region in all who talk: though we could
fool each other, we should consider -
least the parade of our mutual life
gets lost in the dark.
For it is important that awake people be awake or
a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep;
the signals we give - yes, no, or maybe -
should be clear; the darkness around us is deep.
(William Stafford)
