And on some unknown day
man created rope
and it was good to pull.
Rope immediately established
more order in the unstable world,
as long as someone held one end.
And has pulled mankind to power,
necks, mules, carts, ships, planes
brought the goods, tolled the bells,
hanged the innocent and the guilty.
Knots, snares, lassos, ladders
have saved us from disaster,
weaving countless ties.
Gary Beck’s poetry has appeared in dozens of literary magazines. His chapbook, “Remembrance” was published by Origami Press, June 2008. “The Conquest of Somalia” will be published by Cervena Barva Press. His recent fiction has been published in numerous literary magazines. His plays and translations of Moliere, Aristophanes, and Sophocles have been produced off-Broadway.
© 2008, Gary Beck
Halfway Down the Stairs 