They lean so hard on their surrogate certainties,
Putting their faith wherever they may
To keep at bay the vexing question―
That destroyer of worlds―
That unsettler of minds―
That upsetter of apple carts.
And I find it ever interesting to see
What they will do when one of the experts to whom
They so readily concede their own thinking
Admits to an ambiguity in the math
Failing in his priestly duty of
Keeping every matter under control
In the security of his own office,
So that it need not be handled in the minds
Of the ordinary people.
Does he not know that they cannot handle
The uncertainty of unresolved questions?
Has he not seen them fumbling around
With algebra and its confounded variables?
Has he not seen their eyes glazed over―
Their brains in stupefied inactivity―
Awaiting some savior to swoop in
And tell them the problem does not
Require their thinking after all,
Thank God?
Given all this, shouldn’t the man
Know better than to leave it up to an either/or
That the public might get its hands on?
I mean, they could put their eye out with that thing!
If he’s just got to mention that scholars aren’t certain,
Couldn’t he at least hint at what the right answer probably is,
So that the masses can have the benefit of appearing to be
Open-minded, while also having the security of having been
Told what to believe by a trusted expert whom they trust because―
Well, they don’t know because why, but they just do.
And besides, it’s easier than doing their own investigation
Into the important things.
Does he not realize that the whole system
Is at stake here?
