Dwarf in a Tree (A Cautionary Tale)

There was a dwarf who lived in a tree
I could see him just like you see me
He told me secrets I never knew
Misfortune would fill him with glee

I gave him smiles
He gave me words
And said that I should hear
What he said
That you and I should walk
Through our ears into darkness
And enter our heads

See our thoughts like films on a screen
Play back what we don't understand
Rub out words we never meant
Vanish tears with a smile of hand

What people say is said for all time
We remember what we should forget
Putting words to a beautiful mind
And confusion is all that we get

To say hello is all that's required
Dig too deep and you get in a mess
Forcing smiles with lips that are tied
If you don't know the truth
Then you guess

The dwarf would laugh
And stand on his head
Hang upside down from the tree
And said that reason
Should be left unsaid
Or you'll end up a dwarf like me

You'll stunt your mind
And cripple your heart
Wanting to know why and what
And start to panic when boredom starts
So just be glad to have what you've got

The tree is gone
And so has the dwarf
And all that's left is a hole
But don't be fooled
That he's gone far away
He's just biding his time In your soul

“The weight of this sad time, we must obey
Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say
The eldest hath borne most, and we that are young shall never see so much, nor live so long”