who cares whether spirits are good or bad
they inhabit us when we are young
and demand we witness to their sad
hand in us - infested and angel-stung
afterwards they grow at our expense
until the compact larva unstops
its plug - searching around to influence
then we’re discarded and allowed to drop
yet the spirit was us all along
the future hijacked by just a story
to which we’re pinned and mounted right or wrong
according to our scandal and glory
in pursuing the life elected
instead of one where risk’s accepted
Blackwells
Oxford
30 May 2018