The pillars of society are strong, we think;
Built out of stone of what we deem
Simple
Basic
Principals.

Stones

Are strong, we think;
But stones can be broken if you try,
And some are not as strong as others, however,
Simple
Basic
Principals

Should be stronger than the strongest

Stones

Yet
Stones, and
Simple
Basic
Principles
Have been warped, tilted, and broken
Over time, trials, tribulations
The earthquakes of centuries have changed

The face of the earth and exposed new

Stones

And covered old ones, but
Sometimes, old ones are dug up, hailed
As fossils, and put into museums to demonstrate
Simple
Basic
Principles

And teach the young
How to form their plastic bodies to stones,
Even if the stones are unwashed,
Fresh from the ground
*****

Stones

Brown and gray
Simple
Basic
Principles
That a child sometimes finds to be
Hollow in the middle.