From the Narrow Desert

Today I was cleaning out the photos folder on my phone.

At my school, students have to change into slippers before going upstairs to the classroom. At the foot of the stairs is a “shoe room” with shelves for their shoes and slippers, and each shelf is labeled with a student’s name. (They use English names when studying English.) These labels have to be updated as old students leave and new students enroll.

On June 25, I noticed that the staff had neglected to do this, that there was a shelf still labeled with the name of a student who had left some months ago. I took a photo of the offending label and sent it to the staff group, with a reminder to keep the labels up to date.

Today I was about to delete that photo when I noticed something:

Three labels are visible on the central shelf in the photo: from left to right, Leo, Egbert, Peter. Keeping in mind that Pharazon and Peter are considered by William to be the same person, these are the same three names, in the same order, as in the title of his post.

I had no role in this. I didn’t give any of these students his English name, and my staff applied the labels and decided which shelf to give to which student.

Quite a coincidence, I thought, especially considering what an unusual name Egbert is.

Wears silver shoon,

But gold costs twice

As much. That price

Is far too high,

And that is why

The Girl in the Sun

Wears only one.

On Venus, copper

Shoon they wore,

But copper’s dearer

Than before.

Until they’ve saved

Enough, that price

Means penny-loafers

Must suffice.

But iron’s cheap.

The shoon on Mars

Cost less than those

On other stars.

The Man that’s there

Is shod, of course,

With shoon to spare

To shoe his horse.

And what of Earth?

Men there, they say,

Make do with shoon

Of miry clay

Until, the Ancient’s

Reign restored,

They may go barefoot

Like their Lord.

Sons of Michael,

He approaches.

Rise! The Ancient

Father greet.

Bow, ye thousands,

Low before him.

Minister

Before his feet.