04-02-2017, 05:50 AM
The Fool’s Tax
April Fool’s Day makes me think
of jesters, fools pied blue and red
of witty things they might have said
as nobles sat to eat and drink.
One might have answered to the voice
of his fool’s-scepter when it asked
why castle-owners all were tasked
with paying taxes to rejoice
in having windows in their homes?
The tax, our fool would have replied
to his small dummy, like him pied
was so the king, in case war comes
could pay an archer to stand by
each window to repel attacks.
The dummy nods but never slacks:
“Tell me,” it asks, “the reason why
“there’s no king’s tax on tapestries!”
“Why should wall hangings draw a fee?”
our foolish jester asks. With glee
his dummy answers, “To pay these
king’s spies who listen from behind
each arras in both peace and war.”
“Fool!” said jester: though he bore
the motley license, words could bind.
April Fool’s Day makes me think
of jesters, fools pied blue and red
of witty things they might have said
as nobles sat to eat and drink.
One might have answered to the voice
of his fool’s-scepter when it asked
why castle-owners all were tasked
with paying taxes to rejoice
in having windows in their homes?
The tax, our fool would have replied
to his small dummy, like him pied
was so the king, in case war comes
could pay an archer to stand by
each window to repel attacks.
The dummy nods but never slacks:
“Tell me,” it asks, “the reason why
“there’s no king’s tax on tapestries!”
“Why should wall hangings draw a fee?”
our foolish jester asks. With glee
his dummy answers, “To pay these
king’s spies who listen from behind
each arras in both peace and war.”
“Fool!” said jester: though he bore
the motley license, words could bind.
Non-practicing atheist