Diogenes is walking past
the crowds and the stalls
in the market

the butcher has caught a man
stealing meat
'Oh,' says the thief
'It's my fate to steal -
do not punish me! '

'Oh,' says Diogenes,
'if it's your fate to steal
then it's your fate to be beaten!'

And Diogenes beats him

And Diogenes is an outcast
not wanted by society;
his mind is way too far
and he doesn't belong -
and where does he come from, anyway?
and they don't want teachers like that;
and the men and women of Dignity
have made sure he stands at the periphery,
as far outside as possible


'O why do you beg,
Diogenes?'
asks the butcher

'I'm a teacher,
Old Butcher, '
says Diogenes
'I beg in order
to teach'

'And what
do you teach?'
asks the butcher

'Generosity,'
answers Diogenes
*'Do you have some bones
and meat you can spare?'

And Diogenes is in his corner
and this young man
new Philosophy Graduate
of the Academy comes up to him
and sits beside him on the steps
of Raphael's School of Athens
and the young man says to Diogenes:
'There is no such thing as motion, Diogenes.
I shall prove to you through complex philosophy.'

And Diogenes gets up
and he walks away from
the School of Athens
and he goes to his tub
at the end of the marketplace

See, Diogenes is in the market
It is busy, crowded
usual Sunday crowd
busy, busy at the market;
some come to buy meat
and some to pick pockets
and some to ogle

see - suddenly Diogenes
jumps into the crowd
and he shouts:
"Men! Men! Quick - quick!
We need some help!"

And 6 men jump forward
to help, 6 sturdy men
all strong, eager and ready

and Diogenes spits in their faces
spits as quickly as he can
and swiftly crouches as low as he can:
*"I asked for men!
Not scoundrels!"

So what city do you belong to,
to what tribe, to what ethos and religion -
to what state, Diogenes?*

I have none
and so I am free -
but if you must have a label
to understand me
you might say: cosmopolites
…but beware of labels…

And they asked Diogenes
how he'd like to be buried
and he said: 'Just scatter my parts
well outside the City'

'But, Diogenes,
then the wild creatures
will get to the parts -
you don't mind being eaten
up by the creatures? '

'Oh, I hadn't considered that -
just provide me with a staff then
with which I might chase away the creatures'

'Oh, but Diogenes -
how will you do that when you are dead? '

*'Oh, I hadn't considered that…
Well then, but why should I worry
what eats me after I'm dead? '

1
well, there's this turkey
in the bush and it sees a tree
and there is seized with a great desire
to reach the topmost of the branches;
but no matter how it tries
it can only land on the first branch

"Try a little of my droppings, "
says the bull below the tree
"My droppings are packed
with vitamins and lots of energy"

2
"Thank you, Mr Bull, "
says the turkey
and eats some of the droppings
and straight feels the energy
and flies up to the first branch
and it goes to the next
and higher on to the next branch
And on and on
with so much zest and power
till at last the turkey reaches
its desired goal - right to the top


3
And from afar in the field
the farmer sees the turkey
and he shoots it down with his gun
"Will be good for dinner this day! "
he says



And the moral of the story in Aesop style:
******* might get you far and high
but someone will smell it sooner or later