how they stumbled
upon their insight
conjured the words to
contrive a common language
what amazing things
they imagined, created
invented as they
paired the pigments
mined the marble
how did they uncover
the riches with so little
to find, so little behind them
the benefit of so few volumes
no Internet
to leave us with Dante's Inferno
Michelangelo's Pieta, Von Gogh's Starry Night
what idea compelled them to sacrifice
their lives to create a masterpiece
what desire pushed them forward
in poverty, in desperation
to leave us with the priceless treasure
of their blood, their sweat
the lasting vision of their dreams
with all our burgeoning access to information
our gluttony for natural resources
our unbridled enthusiasm for change
for wealth, for comfort
what will we leave
Barry DeCarli
February 5, 2012
Copyright 2012 Barry DeCarli
Draft #4
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