Cardinal Communicators

by john clare

A Cardinal was sent from the throne
of the great maker of Word
And given the ability to peck His
message in coded song
Yet only the wise Hams could
interpret what was going on
To the rest of us just dots and
dashes from a red bird.

He came to my window day upon day
pecking away
As I sat in my squalor and watched
his incessant window smashing
It occurred to me dimly he was
dot and dashing
So I took the pen and this is what he
was saying to me:
Dash Dash stop
Dot stop
Dash dot stop
Dot stop stop

Dash stop
Dot stop
Dash dot Dash stop
Dot stop
Dot dash dot Dash stop stop

Dot dash dash dot stop
Dot stop
Dot dash dot stop
Dot stop
Dot dot dot stop stop

And then he was gone and all was quiet
It wasn't long before I was weighed in
the balance and found wanting
As in my night visions the dot
dashing was quite alarming.

So if this Cardinal comes to your pane
He may just be pecking
Dash dot dash dash stop
Dash dash dash stop
Dot dot dash stop
Dot dash dot stop stop

Dash dot stop
Dot dash stop
Dash dash stop
Dot stop stop
Or not.