against the philistines

the shape of words should not we think matter
the meanings the significance and all that
have all the import all things else are the blat
of horns and the random music of the patter
for communication is just prettied-up chatter
and everything like the whole world is flat
and that's all right for all talk is just chat
and all discourse is no more than simple natter
the thought of this should freeze the simplest mind
for all the magic that we have is in the words
we utter and their varied shapes are not mere
arbitrary choices our nature's not that unkind
nor are our letters the plain flight of birds
we speak in hope that some at least will hear