The Way of the Critic

With care, we unravel each thread of a tale
to see what's underneath or who makes hay,
but that's to break it, not the finest way
to bring the flock of words to final sale
or wrap the whole thing up in a neat bale.
But that's the angle we take every day
to make the statue out of common clay,
and if we don't to honourably fail.
With care, we judge ourselves the better men
because we've given nature herself no cause
to crush our spirits or destroy our lives;
yet when we face realities, we will not then
subject ourselves to any rules or laws,
but flee the demons loosed from out their hives.