The Hidden Law

W.H. Auden

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The Hidden Law does not deny
Our laws of probability,
But takes the atom and the star
And human beings as they are,
And answers nothing when we lie.

It is the only reason why
No government can codify,
And verbal definitions mar
The Hidden Law.

Its utter patience will not try
To stop us if we want to die;
If we escape it in a car,
If we forget It in a bar,
These are the ways we're punished by
The Hidden Law.

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Comments1
  • milcar

    I was really struck by the phrase "takes the atom and the star and human beings as they are". The poem conveyed to me that there are some unspoken rules, beyond our understanding, governing everything in the universe. It pointed out that regardless of our evasion attempts, we're bound by these natural laws. Heavy stuff!