Sonnet for Simplicity by C.J. Dennis

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A party of American scientists has succeeded in reaching a 4,500 ft. plateau in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, which has remained unexplored by the known world for at least 12,000 years. The party expects to make important discoveries.

Should you discover on that height   
   Some simple race still wrapped in ignorance,   
   Untaught in tales of man's immense advance 
From the deep dark of neolithic night      
   To triumph, and that glorious upward flight   
   With all its count of pride and circumstance, 
   Of war and pageantry and high romance 
That brought our lovely world to its last plight --- 

Should you meet such, ah, seek not to invoke 
   Our gods of progress for them, nor increase     
Man's knowledge 'mid these foolish, favoured folk.   
   Climb down, climb down again in haste and cease 
Conversion, with man's message yet unspoke: 
   And leave them to their folly --- and their peace.

First published in The Herald, 20 September 1937;
and later in
The Courier-Mail, 2 October 1937.

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This page contains a single entry by Perry Middlemiss published on September 20, 2013 7:34 AM.

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