To the poet a thousand years thence

I who am alive a thousand years,

After messages you passed along,

Confirm hereby I have gotten,

Your beautiful archaic song.

The seas and skies are still rough,

But much easier than thence through to ride;

Communication is in seconds,

Between worlds you knew were once far and wide.

On a much grander scale the prayers,

And ideas of evil and good prevail;

But for simply labeling them foolish,

One can foolishly be sent to jail.

There are more statutes today,

And more consummate palaces that outshine;

But less of  love and music felt to the bone,

Without the heavy load of our wine.

Oh friend unseen, dead, but known,

Teacher of our sweet English tongue;

I read out your words at night, alone:

I am a poet, I am young.

I saw a portrait of your face,

A statute the test of space and  time that stood;

Your greetings I have received,

And I think your message I have understood.

[This is a reply to James Elroy Flecker's POEM ]