Anshul Samar
my blog

Humpty Dumpty


Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall,
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men,
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

Humpty Dumpty’s Neighbor:

It’s been hard on the family.
The little one’s been asking
for her big brother.
What are they supposed to tell her,
that he just left?
That he didn’t say goodbye?

Politician:

Little is known about
the tragic fall and even less
about our helpless king.
Did he really think horses
would make for good doctors?
I have said this before
and will say it again:
“Your Majesty, tear down this wall.”

Journalist:

Tragedy, indeed, but
one is pressed to wonder,
whether he fell backwards or forwards?
What caught Humpty’s eye?
What startled him?
Did he leap or stumble upon his death?

Humpty Dumpty:

I was not startled by what I saw,
but rather by what I did not.
How can you put yourself back together
once you’ve seen that beyond the wall,
there is simply nothing?


Thanks to Jane Hirshfield for suggestions