The Paste Eater’s Grave

I.        
          
In Goldfield, Nevada            
there stands a stone-            
           
   unknown man            
  died eating library paste            
  July 14, 1908          
           
The postmortem examination          
revealed he was starved to death—          
  would have found the mixture sweet:          
  flour, water, 60% aluminum;          
  but, an entire jar a deadly treat            
           
The only thing to his name            
  was a letter addressed to Ross            
           
Despite newspaper headlines          
  dating 1908, skeptics            
   —in their infinite wisdom—            
claim his grave a hoax            
   the story made up            
           
Paint is too fresh, they say            
 despite professions            
by locals who repaint yearly            
  in remembrance of the dead            
           
 Even in death, the self-righteous          
  balk at homeless dignity            
           
I could say the moral is            
Never eat glue;            
  but, I would be wrong—            
           
The moral is: truth survives    
  gossip mongering lies—            
    causing doubts in faith          
    pitting friends against allies            
           
One day, the stones will cry out            
  and justice measured equally          
in proportion to their deceit            
           
II.            
           
May whoever he is—          
knowing this, rest in peace             
~