Creation Myth by Jim Wittenberg
If Sydney Carton hadn’t gone to the guillotine,
I might not have been a punk rocker;
I might have believed in love or god or goodness
more than politics.
If Jekyll had prevailed,
I might have known more from science;
the bigwigs could point fingers,
but the yays could outvote the nays.
If Mr. Rochester had married Blanche,
I might have understood how the hierarchy works;
we orphans had no real chance in fairytales
against the monarchies, aristocracies,
democracies, atrocities, two cities.
If Valjean had only told the truth
a little sooner and not to Marius,
or if Javert had given up the chase
before it consumed him,
I might not have been an atheist.
It might be a far, far worse thing I do
than I had ever done.
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