Stephen P. Miller

TWO MAD MEN

He came in the depths of night
when sleep claimed my body and I was naked.
With the high pure laughter of the insane
he took my hand and I could do naught but follow.
So captured by the music in his voice was I.

Through ions of infinity we traveled,
his laughter marking out path,
‘till finally we came to a place called emptiness.
Stopping here, he handed me a shovel,
and with much laughter said, “Dig.”
I turned asking why for my eyes beheld nothing
and again he said, “Dig.”
For an eternity I flung shovelfuls of nothing into emptiness,
‘till suddenly I ran for I was afraid.

Reaching out, his hand grabbed mine,
pulling me back saying:
“What makes you run so?
Have you never seen yourself?
Has it been cast in emptiness and covered with nothing
for so long you no longer recognize it?”

Crying “Yes” I fell, for no longer would life have me.
And again he spoke:
“Why do you hide behind piles of nothing
and exist only in emptiness?
Why is it that above all, man fears his self?”

Then slowly we turned,
‘till we faced that self.
And though not a word did he utter
Nor a single movement could I detect,
I felt a great laughter welling up from within
and as one we cast the shovel aside.