seeking an honest man before whose lantern
the sun of a brave alexander may darken
a dog and a slave a conqueror unconquered
out he strode into daylight bearing his lantern
'hey here he comes, alright dio' all eager for their eyeful
into each grinning face he plunged his all seeing shine
stuffed them full til they choked on his insight
old dio that nutter, always delightful
and finding only teeth, tongue, the curious smell
of something decaying, and a nervous sort of giggle
he balked in confusion then searched on, determined
unmoored unfettered alienated ungrounded
endlessly stumbling through darkness ever beckoning
great emperors, humbled, dimmed their lights in recognition
his shadows moved freely in native surroundings
before his lantern even the sun darkened
and the ever insatiate present feasted on noisily
his world was small, what's the use of extravagance
he was master of all adrift on an island barking
shining into the abyss now forever opaque
immediately omniscient, he never resurfaced
into the light of any other man
most never come back down the mountain
and diogenes never resurfaced