A Flat Fable

The earth, as once all folk could see,
was flat, with naught to bound it.
When truth, that sets us free, was found,
they couldn’t get around it,

but disbelieved it anyway.
“Our wise men all oppose it.
And after all”, said they, “God knows
it’s painful to suppose it.

Why, there’d go all our earthly dreams!
Why make a hell of heaven?
Two 2’s are 4? It seems the dev-
il! Stay with 3.7.”

And so they did, though not with bad
intent or smirking relish.
But as the years passed, sad to tell,
life got a little hellish.

“Two 2’s are 4?”, they’d sigh, “We thought
that bitter hard to swallow.
Now all beliefs we fought for, all
our grand illusions…hollow!

We hoped too hard and feared too much.
We could have grasped that nettle
and picked the truth. Its touch might yet…?
I wish we’d had the mettle!”

So rather late these good folk learned,
if any chance of bliss is
in store for us, it’s earned. And this
means truth trailed to abysses.

Oh, by the way. Our flat-earth friends
turned round-earth. And their sorrows
were painful, yes, then ended. Scars
today heal scarred tomorrows.