Dreaming of Zarathustra

                                                            by John

The boy has taken a liking to this man,
who sometimes does not wax his moustache
and imitates a great walrus,
his mouth catching smoked fish tossed by the boy. 

Who is this man
that has hired the boy
to run errands for him
amidst the lonely mountains of Sils Maria? 

The townfolk cannot agree
if he is a criminal or
savage patrician
spending a fugitive year amongst snow and
fog and frozen lakes. 

But the boy is certain
that the man must be a master storyteller
who spins tales of suspense to
enthrall young men.

For each morning, the old man
whispers to the boy
about eternally recurring dreams
of falling tightrope walkers,
suffering horses,
mad Dionysus,
and supermen.