TEMPUS FUGIT
Copyright © Geoff Allnutt (The Speech Painter) 1999

 

I Icarus I who flew headlong up
towards the sun and then fell
destroy all that dare
leave the sky corrupt
and dam them to eternal hell
my name was appropriated by pioneers who
dared dazzling those that thought it dumb
to attempt unknown the jump
into an embrace with thin air
whose conquest would come.
in the early days those who flew became gods
bronze heroes who escaped,defying the skies power
when most failed to fly, crashing to the earth, they beat the odds
took their place among the clouds mortals whose hour
had come. engineers ideas the blue prints of reality building
on my own legacy; who was the first
despite feathers and no tooling
i reached the sun before falling
what can mankind do when progress is a curse

 

1)

to a point in time turn back the clocks
when rag time beat one two tick took
the belle epoque is at its height the pulse
of the world Paris beats as one
as man made wings taunt the sun
these self taught pilots blaze the trail
their machines for flight set sail
at last free in open seas
with new found peaks to scale
but only one gets praise from me
i give to you alberto santos
the worlds imagination set to soar
on high he who
freed you from the earth confines
and thought flights force benign
there to lift man higher
a force for change like fire
a dream of man as old as darkness
set alight by one pure spark
that name echoes as the mouths of Paris cry
santos dumont flies

 

the lock prized open on flights pandoras box

 

 

2)

time rums fast or slow it will not wait
its cruel hands deal turning over fate
what you create is up to you but learn
from me the burning mind does not see
what could come what will be
santos dumont who breathed to fly
saw nightmares form and plague the sky
now used for warfare planes soared
bombs dropped like broken stars
these white hot suns sent to their death crashed
down turning life into ash
guilt pain and depression flex their hold
turns santos dumont cold
hung by the neck by his own tie
on his cartier watch time does not fly
the watch that santos wore
became his link to fame
a watch of beauty art style
its modern form with square dial
is now the only lasting sign that he was here

I Icarus check my wrist
for times cruel twist