more alarms

our task is simple witnessing the past
and bearing word to those who are to come
that's the whole purpose the magical sum
of functions into which we have been cast
to keep the future people from the blast
of bomb and cannon and the angry drum
instead they have the apple and the plum
signs of a hope that shall for long time last
news that we hear is always of more woe
than we can comprehend in our short lives
and so we stop our ears to halt the sound
i think it safer that we all should know
the dangers from the guns and from the knives
the better to protect our bits of ground