[The School rejects the belief that, after death, one’s consciousness is preserved in mana; they dismiss evidence as merely echoes. Disowned by the Averers.]
Cruelty, we commend you and concede the territory
Knowing its true name: Existence
We have no taste for appetites
It was never a land we fought for
And short lives are still too much
The sky is a crash, stars are the flames
For larger reasons, the conductors do not shut it down
But our hands and hearts are ours to give away
And we find no image of pride more stirring
Than our facedown ruin, uninterested in heaven
Closed eyes need no light
We look behind the oldest fear
And see the silent waters
Knowing their true name: Sovereignty
Give us back, and we will die ourselves
Do not hinder us with memory