Sgt. Pepper

We had an agenda,

and knew the way,

but happened upon a park.

And being sunny as it was,

were in no hurry,

and lingered.

After a while we had the munchies,

but were interrupted by a passing few . . .

and followed.

And there were more of them . . .

It was 20 years ago today

Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play

They've been going in and out of style

But they're guaranteed to raise a smile

So may I introduce to you,

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

It's wonderful to be here

It's certainly a thrill

You're such a lovely audience

We'd like to take you home with us

We'd love to take you home.

I don't really want to stop the show,

But I thought you might like to know

That the singer's gonna sing a song

And he wants you all to sing along

So let me introduce to you . . .

And we were transported, along with everyone else, and would like to have stayed, but the museum . . .

We stopped, though, for more music,

and dance,

and expressions of rights and grievances,

overseen by police

and military.

And in the near distance there was even more music,

and another band,

with a parade following,

and more freedom fighters with police escort.

And we thought of Plato,

and his Republic.

But even then, democracy was for the few.

Later than planned, we arrived,

the foundations of Western civilization displayed before us.

But long before the classical Greeks there were others, 3500 years and earlier,

who thought great thoughts that flourished and died before different civilizations rose up,

like the Mycenaeans,

whose love for beauty,

and detail,

still astound.

We would like to have stayed but our time was up, and there was more of the surface to scratch.

Passing by one place in time,

after another,

Pa and I agreed that we‘d learned a lot, though we still couldn’t get the band out of our head.