they dragged her from the sea
cut her open on the beach
a rich man boiled body fat
a poor man ate her meat
adventured into industry
the best part of a century
were not for new technology
the whales would be extinct
and it was all for the light
to read the bible at night
or learn a piece of music in the parlor after supper
then retire to the den with a skull in your hand
and peruse a hutch of promise notes and sea maps
then that fake old colonel drake drilled a hole in pennsylvania
the sludgy gushing fountain changed the nature of the game
every room could house a lantern
from the poor house to the jail
it's how the standard oil trust accidentally saved the whales
and it was all for the light
to read the bible at night
the women saved their handy work for the hours after supper
and the children learned to read
there were authors just for children
the gas lamp had brighter expectations
that wizard and inventor
with employees and disciples
had a symbol for a good idea
an incandescent light bulb
the world never sleeps
she just hums a softer tune
it's nice to have a night lamp
when you're sleeping on the moon
and it's all for the light
to read the bible at night
then brush your teeth and floss in your fancy silk pajamas
and the end of the hall for the fish and the dog
in the window for the lost and weary traveler