'The Spirits Gathering': Dublin Has Talent

DUBLIN, CA — Brien Doran submitted this insightful rhyming fable on which human emotion is the most ancient.

If you have a poem, painting, piece of fiction, or anything else you'd like to submit, email Michael.wittner@patch.com.

"The Spirits Gathering"

Brien Doren

The spirits laughed and danced as close to the fire as they dared

Some shouted, others cursed while still others just stared

Let us have a contest! shouted a particularly vile looking one

We shall see who is the oldest among us ... just for fun.

"Surely, it is I" said one, bent and gnarled with age

"I was here when the dinosaurs had the center stage."

"You are a fool!" shouted the others and forced him to be seated

Many others vied for the title of being the oldest and all of them felt cheated

when from the rear two rather impish spirits stood and said:

"we are the oldest of any spirits, be they alive or dead"

"But you are so young and so innocent appearing. How can you

have existed for so long and yet look so endearing?"

"Precisely so! We do not always appear as what we really are

this disguise of ours is what sometimes helps us get so far,

for we have killed the innocent and scorched the land

and we do it without ever so much as having to raise a hand

for we inhabit the minds of men and have done so for eternity

My friend's name is injustice...and I am stupidity!"