183.365 - the reporter

I was not given the gift of prophecy
mine is to report but accurately
not like the winners want
full of their fire and divine aid
no, I tell the stories as I saw them
some few times as I heard
in some of them the winners act as heroes
in some of them the winners don’t
in none of them do they choose
they simply act as they did
which I cannot now go back and change
the commandant has shown my errors to me
shown how much better life could be
if I would just tell some stories a little differently
and some not at all
I told him merrily that I could not
and so he put me in chains and in this room
where people come and whisper through the window
and others come and listen to what I tell
the commandant has three times told me I must stop
I told him merrily that I could not
he told me last time that I could stop or he would stop me
I told him merrily that I could not
there, I think I hear him and his soldiers coming
you’d better go