how long
must I
wait
watch as
others crawl
climb
or catapult
to the top
as I stay
trapped
in this middle cage
this empty
nothingness
comfort
is not good
pain
is pointless
if there is no
power
to gain
the republic
falls
I watch
and learn
as I build
patiently
brick by brick
inch by inch
piece by piece
the jigsaw
of my
empire
Edmund Wilson 