Ages of Reed and Lotus [edit]

[dukealien]

edit 1;

Ages of Reed and Lotus


    The paperless future is always five years away
    because no one trusts a paperless past.


  Egypt.  Giant reeds, papyrus, rise
from brown Nile water, columns symbolize
protection, safety, bearing up the skies.

  Sacred lotus floats near, blue and bright
in sunlight, but at sunset sinks from sight
Nile metaphor of death, rebirth, soul’s plight.

Reeds split and glued form frail papyrus scrolls
scribes diligently copy, for their rolls
convey troop musters, tax and subject polls.

Unlike the lotus constantly reborn
papyrus lasts but few years when it’s torn
from Egypt’s sandy desiccating bourne.

Rome, mighty, conquering, adopts the best
from Egypt, freighting rolled papyrus west;
scribes daily copy rule and manifest.

Barbarians block Egypt, halting trade;
uncopied Roman records rot and fade;
Rome falls, administration mute, decayed.

So lotus-like the West sinks into dark
and scribeless ignorance until ink’s mark
impressed on rag-laid paper lights a spark.

But can its records, digitized, survive
float like the sacred lotus, never dive
in darkness - needing paper to revive?

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Finally got around to editing this one.  Thanks to the critics and other commenters:  hope the few changes (and one added stanza) improve and clarify as suggested.  And that the new barbarians don't know how to conduct a DDOS attack (except that, apparently, they do).