Allegory of Hall

Allegory of Hall

Shadows appear behind shades
In the movie-screen window
Reflecting disillusion
Like cave drawings
In Plato’s cave
Shackled to darkened memories
And jaded beliefs
Never seeing real light
Or trusting pristine beauty.

Below the sill,
In the night
At dusk
Beyond cover or freedom
Signs from above
Beckon and fall
Silently motioning
But only the mindless follow
Without question
Or doubt

Peeking behind curtains,
The philosopher king lay exposed
Naked before the shadow dwellers
Making known
What they will never accept

The blackboards project
Dusty non-learning
Begging for attention
And understanding
A relationship, which is never realized

The passing days
Of knowledge and guidance
Float by
All the while
Oars out to sea
And wonder paddles along side
“Do they get ‘it’?”
“Will they ever?”
The abstract “they”
Which the philosopher king never truly knows
Light is shed,
But the bait is never taken

Rambling through existence
Trembling passed
The insecurity and disbelief
The lack of understanding
The misgiving
Or the barren giving tree
Unable to assess
The damage already done.

Dedication means nothing.
It means nothing
To the shadows.
In here,
Beyond hope,
Without meaning,
Seemingly alone
In this crazy wilderness
Believing in them
When they don’t believe
In themselves-

Wanting to teach
Self-satisfaction
Comprehension of the light
Wisdom about the truth
Of the delusion
The truth…
Period.

The birth of sage-like qualities
Questioning and curiosity
Interest piqued
And growing
Developing the bravery
To ask why
And want to know
Learning
Utopia
Cornucopia of wealth
Out of the darkness
In front of the brightest light
Awareness-
The Holy Grail.

-Starr Sackstein