What tempted me to join the queue? It must be some great treat. Only delight could keep these souls Shuffling on blistered feet. I turned a corner hours ago, Quite perpendicular, But as I count the corners off I’ve tallied five so far. The walls are clean, but they’re not bright, Scrubbed to sobriety. I passed a blotch I’d seen before, But it might lie to me. This line may loop into a square, And no one’s first or last, And all who’ve shuffled patiently Are doomed to lose the past. Did I ascend to this closed floor By staircase or by lift? Outside must lie some wider world, Denied a precious gift. The walls are bare of openings, But we need only one. Quiet can’t be the sole reward For everything we’ve done.