death is the crown of the kingdom of fear
seen in the bones of everything here
it is the root of the tree we grew
who knew the branches would be made in its tune?

humanity is fear
spreading
from our one exhortation
  Live!
to cover everything
what else can we structure life by?
death spreading from the center of the oil spill
out to
the quotidienne

they wore clothing
(they feared the naked body)
they bore wealth
(they feared inadequacy)
they hoarded
(they feared famine)
they conformed
(they feared ostracism)

they made love
(their genes feared death)
they were violent
(to protect the family)
they waged war
(their polities, their leaders
  the fear of death, rising
    merging
      into the grand vortex)
praise god!
(for fear)

what would you be, without fear?
who would you be, without fear?
do you rightly know?
everything you see is built on
  thanatos
his only child should rightly be
  phobus

it is beautiful
that such structure
can be made from a single root:
in nature's inventions, da vinci said
nothing is lacking, nothing superfluous
it is
tolerable
(at times)
to live in it

can we escape?

creativity, spirituality, joie de vivre,
motorcycles, makeup,
are these the way out?
or just a thin lacquer
over terror at the briefness of life?

what would you be, without fear?
who would you be, without fear?

corruption entered even
the children of illúvatar
their forests burned for industry
just like ours

maybe
the outlaws of the old west had it right
rob and ransom
kidnap ladies
death in the desert
at least it's warm there

what would you be, without fear?
who could you be, without fear?

 - "the crown of the kingdom of fear," connelly barnes, 2008-02-10