Covenant

a billion words ago
the sailors disappeared
a story for the children
to rock them back to sleep
a million burning books
like torches in our hands
a fabric of ideals
to decorate our homes
a thousand generations
the soil on which we walk
a mountain of mistakes
for us to climb for pleasure
a hundred clocks are ticking
the line becomes a circle
spin the wheel of fortune
or learn to navigate
a choir full of longing
will call our ships to port
the countless lonely voices
like whispers in the dark
a second of reflection can