Come on in, there is nothing left to take.
Allow me an hour and a day to rest,
Then I will think of something new to make.

Possessions departed in time’s cold wake,
Because of this wanderlust and unrest,
Have left me light with nothing left to take.

The dreams that I have learned to forsake--
I slept in here while all the world progressed.
Now I must think of something new to make.

I had to build and then I had to break,
Wasted time, useless work, and pointless test.
Come on in, there is nothing left to take.

But first always offer your hand to shake,
“It’s the other guy who made you oppressed.
Now go and think of something new to make.”

Blame locust or hurricane or earthquake—
Call the problem Middle East or Midwest—
Until naked with nothing left to take
We keep on finding something new to make.

We depart seeking wonders large and great
Returning with disappointment because
We assumed too much and arrived too late

Our best laid plans fail as we complicate
Waving aphorisms as hammers and saws
We depart seeking wonders large and great

Monuments and men don’t escape fate
Gravity and entropy are the laws
We assume too much and arrive too late

Statues toppled, print faded, art erased
Nothing left of ancient faith or old cause
We depart seeking wonders large and great

We return to chipped paint, a squeaking gate
Much to regret, unforgettable flaws
We assumed too much and arrived too late

What to do if the past proves a failed state?
To turn our back or watch as it withdraws?
We depart seeking wonders large and great
We assumed too much and arrived too late