The archive
Pity that man is only this
Pity, that man is what he is
And may not rise tall as mahogany
Above a debased lowliness among shrubs
Pity, that the human heart of man
We so much wait worshipfully on
Turns quisling in moments of dire need
Still pity, that charity has turned hate
Turned into vessel of public spit
We do little more than turn our nose at
It’s indeed pity that trust is lost
And then set about in quest of it
We reveal that it’s done and gone
So, after reaping all life’s cares, our mean efforts
We turn to our heart to discover in thee
No room for our sweats on earth, pity.
Pierre Meunier · 1992
EDITOR’S NOTE
Originally published in Citizen on 06 Jan 1992, p. 72. This diplomatic transcription preserves the wording and lineation verified against the archived page.