History, Time, And Tango Poem by Lee Gelis

It becomes interesting to watch the people,
Dancing among themselves, wondering
What point was to be made, and by whom.
Watching the stars, as if gods had put them
There with some obscure message to be deciphered.
And each time one has a revelation: madness.
All corners colliding, riding waves of intellect,
Crashing up, sliding down, and learning nothing.
For all history is to be learned from, and in
History we learn nothing, as history shows,
And that is greater to know than anything else.
As the years draw by and time itself begins
Looking back, like an old friend, only then
Do we see ourselves, standing in front of mirrors,
In doorways and on paths; not looking ahead
Nor back; but knowing, of both where we came
And where we are going, but mostly where we are.
Only then do we see the people dancing,
Together, there in the daylight, wondering
What point was to be made, and by whom.
And we ourselves, laughing at the madness,
Wondering why we ever tried to tango.